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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 



®N^ 




Mrs. Jui.es Gutkribge 



FROM CAPITOL 
TO KREMLIN 



BY 
MRS. JULES GUTHRIDGE 




New York and Washington 

THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1910 






Copyright, 1910, by 
THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 



©C! A259892 



PREFACE 

During the Spring of 1903 President 
Roosevelt appointed a Commission to go 
abroad and interest the great Powers of 
Europe in a movement to put the finances of 
China on a gold basis. The members of 
the Commission were Hugh H. Hanna, 
Charles A. Conant and J. W. Jenks. 

Of this Commission my husband was First 
Secretary. In Europe we were joined by a 
Commission representing the Republic of 
Mexico, headed by the distinguished econo- 
mist and banker, Enrique C. Creel. His as- 
sociates were Edward Meade and Luis Ca- 
macho. 

The Joint Commission visited many im- 
portant Capitals, extending its journey as far 
east as St. Petersburg and Moscow. 

This modest little journal, written from 
notes miade at the time, contains in brief 
phrase my personal experiences of the trip. 

Mrs. Jules Guthridge. 



From Capitol to Kremlin 



May iGth. 

We left Washington this morning for a 
four months' trip over-sea. The last scene 
our eyes rested upon was the stately Capitol 
building with its beautifully proportioned 
dome glittering in the sunlight of an ideal 
spring day. 

During our absence we shall visit many 
European cities, our trip extending as far 
east as Russia. 

May igth. 

We are sailing for Plymouth this morning 
on the North German Lloyd steamer Kaiser 
Wilhelm der Grosse, after a stay of three days 
in New York. The voyage begins well. 
The sea is calm. The day is perfect. The 
vast ship is crowded. Every one is bent on 
being the first to get aboard. People are go- 
ing hither and thither searching for friends 
for last good-byes. 

When our belongings were installed in our 
state-room, we hurried on deck to see the ship 
pull away from her moorings. At a quarter 
past ten came the final clanging call, accom- 

7 



FROM , CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

panled by the words, " All ashore that's not 
going," and in a little while we were steam- 
ing out of the harbor, to the cheery strains of 
two bands of music, one on the dock, the 
other on the ship. 

Our last look behind showed us myriads of 
handkerchiefs waving adieux. They seemed 
as hundreds of sea-gulls fluttering their 
white-winged good-byes. 

After we had sailed out into the sea, we 
found our chairs comfortably cornered. By 
this time all had become a laughing, jesting 
party, many of whorrt^ no sooner laughed than 
they scowled, for Neptune already had them 
in his clutches. 

Out into the sea we sailed, with five days 
before us of a dolce-far-niente time, to won- 
der who every one was, whence he or she 
came, and all the other whences that a sea- 
trip finds for the curiously inclined. 

Night came, covering sky and sea with a 
violet veil, and soon we were wrapped in 
dreamless sleep. 

Before I close this chronicle of to-day's 
events I must relate an incident, at first dis- 
quieting, but with an agreeable denouement, 
that occurred shortly after luncheon. We 
had returned to our state-room to adjust the 

8 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

various articles of our toilet which we neg- 
lected to do at the time of starting. To 
our surprise, all our luggage, down to the 
smallest detail, was missing, and in its place 
were the traveling articles of another person. 
We were expressing our surprise at the occur- 
rence, when a lady in the adjoining state- 
room informed us that one of the stewards 
had made the change during our absence on 
deck. My husband pressed the button, and 
a steward instantly made his appearance. In 
answer to our queries, he said the change had 
been made at the Purser's suggestion; and, he 
added, with a significant smile, we doubtless 
would be pleased when we saw our new quar- 
ters. 

He was quite right, for the state-room to 
which we had been transferred was much 
larger; better lighted, and — a great considera- 
tion also on ship-board — directly amidship 
where the roll of the vessel was least percept- 
ible. Our original state-room, was a rather 
modest affair. The state-room the Purser 
gave us was one of the best on the boat. 

The mystery attending the transfer was 
not explained until our return to America. 
Then we learned that it had been made at the 
request of Mr. Gustav Schwab, manager of 

9 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the North German Lloyd Co., at New York, 
who had instructed the steward to give us the 
most comfortable state-room that was not 
occupied after the ship left the dock. 

At an early hour the next day we were all 
in evidence, in a smiling mood. Somehow 
the breakfast did not appeal to me, so I 
sought my chair on deck, and calmly bided 
my time to pay my tribute to the sea, which 
happily was not collected. 

How suggestive of comfort to be tucked in 
your steamer chair, to have breakfast served 
in your lap ! The dinner ! How proudly I 
walked to my place for that first dinner ! 

May list. 
A BRIGHT day until sunset when there were 
evidences of an approaching storm, and an- 
other day was wrapped in old ocean's wet 
blanket. 

May 22nd. 
A GRAY day. I had determined to have a 
good promenade this morning before seating 
myself; but when I looked down the long line 
of sea-struck passengers, I lost little time in 
getting to my chair, where I hoped the vaga- 
ries of the sea (for she has many) would 
leave me undisturbed, and she did. 

10 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

May i^rd. 
We awakened to find a strong wind, and 
the ship ploughing through a heavy sea; but 
this did not prevent us from going on deck, 
where we found everything wrapped In mist, 
and the passengers presenting a bedraggled 
and uncomfortable appearance. 

May 2^th. 
We were aroused early by the band calling 
us to be up and doing, as this was our last day 
before landing. All luggage was ready. 
The entire time was spent on deck until din- 
ner, for which all prepared to look their best, 
and they did. No sooner had the trumpet 
sounded, when the passengers began a move- 
ment to the dining-saloon. In a short time 
every seat, even mine, was filled. The flower- 
bedecked tables were decorated with sou- 
venirs. Before dessert was served, a unique 
scene occurred. Suddenly the lights were ex- 
tinguished, leaving the saloon in total dark- 
ness. The band In the gallery began a spir- 
ited air, and into the darkened saloon came 
the waiters filing two by two, all wearing 
white aprons and white jackets. Some bore 
dishes filled with fantastically designed ices; 
others, platters on which rested blocks of Ice. 

II 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

In the center of these rose lighted candles of 
different shades. Other waiters carried 
Japanese lanterns of unique design. When 
they had made a tour of the saloon three 
times, a lantern was suspended over each 
table. With the ices \^ere served tiny Ameri- 
can and German flags for the ladies who, on 
receiving them, placed them effectively in 
their hair. 

Suddenly loud calls of " Captain ! Cap- 
tain ! " rose above the chatter of conversa- 
tion, and in response, the huge form of the 
ship's commander, his face wreathed in 
smiles, and blushing like a school-boy, was 
projected into view. He spoke in cheerful 
strain, felicitating himself upon the high 
quality of the passengers intrusted to his care, 
and the pleasant voyage they had made. It 
was such a speech as one would expect from; 
a bluff, hardy mariner, who was more famil- 
iar with ocean currents and steam-navigation, 
than with the rhetorical flourishes of the pro- 
fessional orator. But what he said came 
straight from the heart, and was delivered in 
admirable English. A vigorous hand-clap- 
ping followed his remarks, and this, in turn, 
was followed by a popular German ballad, 
sung in the words of the Fatherland by all 

12 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the passengers of German descent. " Amer- 
ica," in the singing of which everybody 
joined, came next. Then the band played. 
Other speeches, some witty, all interesting, 
were made. Shouts of laughter filled the room, 
the occupants of each table trying to make 
more noise than the occupants of the score or 
more of other tables. The spirit of cama- 
raderie was in the air, and every face beamed 
with merriment and good cheer. Suddenly 
the ship's bell pealed the hour of midnight, 
and lo ! land was but a few hours away. 

May 25th. 

This morning, the morning of the sixth 
day, we rode into sun-kissed Plymouth. 
What a wonderful tonic, the sight of land, 
after even a short sea-voyage! Men, who 
for days looked like tramps, shone resplend- 
ent the last day in natty cloth suits and silk 
hats, or derbys. Women whose hair had the 
appearance of sea-weed, come forth in puffs, 
pompadours and the latest trottoir-suits, 
plainly showing that the agony was over. 

No sooner had we stepped ashore when an 
excited search for luggage began. Thanks to 
the excellent discipline of the porters it was 
soon in readiness for the customs officials, 

13 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

whose examination was perfunctory to say 
the least. All our traveling articles were in 
good shape except a huge, protecting strap 
covering our largest trunk that appealed for- 
cibly to some one who could not resist it. 
And he did not. Then came the hurrying 
for our " wagon-lits," which had been re- 
served, and In a short time we were en route 
to London. 'Twas one of the days when 
England wore her sunniest smiles. Not a 
drop of rain marred the beautiful landscape, 
as on and on the train sped, as if realizing 
our eagerness to reach the great metropolis 
by day. We did not go too fast to enjoy our 
first view of the Devonshire country, a rural 
pet and pride of England, lovely in its ex- 
quisite greenness. England has many such 
scenes, which, like jewels, differ only in the 
setting. 

Just before reaching London, Windsor 
Castle, crowning its memorable hill, and pre- 
senting a scene indescribably beautiful, ap- 
peared in view. We were fortunate to have 
our first glimpse of Windsor on an early May 
day, for at this season England's nature is in 
her freshest and most pleasing mood. 

Then came London — London of the dull 
tones. London of dark, dense fogs. Lon- 

14 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

don of " waifs and strays." London of rich 
and rare historic interest from time long 
agone down to this commercial and grasping 
age. 

It was night when we entered Paddington 
station, and in a short half hour we were at 
the Cecil, where we are to stay several weeks. 

Does London sleep? No! its lights are 
never dim. 

Its streets are never deserted. They teem 
by night, as by day, with myriads of unfor- 
tunates to whom life is a bitter jest; a cruel 
mockery. 

And to bed we went, to dream, no ! to fear 
that the dawn would be a London dawn. 
The dawn came, and it was sun-wrapped 
London that we beheld, and not the typical 
London of fog and rain. 

May 26th. 

How good it seemed to get out on the 
streets once more, and to know that there 
were weeks of historic sight-seeing before us; 
to leave nothing undone, from the ragged 
tots of Petticoat Lane, with their surround- 
ings of squalor and misery, to the palatial 
homes and liveried lackeys of Mayfair. 

From the tangle of vehicles in the Strand 
we select an omnibus whose destination is the 

15 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Bank, and climb to the top, letting not a sin- 
gle incident or quaint character escape us. 
The coster-carts claim our principal attention, 
for the coster-cart is one of the quaintest fea- 
tures of English traffic. It is small, and 
shaped like a miniature boat, and is drawn by 
a tiny donkey, hardly the size of a Newfound- 
land dog. Quite frequently a man and a 
woman, hitched together, furnish the motive 
power. The sight of these carts and the 
odd-looking persons that drive them re- 
minded us of the " coster " songs that Cheva- 
lier used to sing in vaudeville in our country 
a few years ago. One of these songs nar- 
rated the circumstances of a quarrel between 
two costermongers, ending with the refrain 
" It wasn't so much just what he said, as the 
nasty way he said it." 

As the fragments of their conversation 
floated toward us, it was quite easy to believe 
them familiar with every " nasty " shade of 
expression, better fitted to bring on a rough 
and tumble fight than the words themselves. 

You may know that the donkey is to Lon- 
don what the dog is to Antwerp. When the 
carts they draw are filled with flowers, they 
seem as little moving gardens, and are 
equally pleasing to the eye when filled with 

i6 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

vegetables. Each little patch is divided by 
a hedge of green, and the ensemble makes an 
artistic picture. 

How much the moving mass of London 
humanity recalls scenes and incidents which 
Dickens and Thackeray and other delineators 
of English life and character have given us! 

'Tis true, many old types of character and 
quaint land-marks have passed away; but 
much of absorbing interest still remains. 

On we rode until we reached the " old lady 
of Threadneedle street," as the Bank of Eng- 
land is called. Then we returned to the 
hotel for luncheon, spending the afternoon 
indoors, resting from the fatigue of the voy- 
age, and getting ourselves in shape for a 
strenuous day to-morrow, the celebrated 
" Derby day.'' 

May 2'jth. 

London has awakened on Derby morning. 
'Tis all England's day. And such a day! 
My first impulse was to run to the window to 
see if the sun or the rain was to rule. I beheld 
a beaming sun, and by ten o'clock we were 
seated all on a tally-ho, with a red-coated 
driver, and a red-coated trumpeter, bound for 
Epsom Downs. 

Have you ever tried to give the trumpet 

17 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

call? I tried, and after twisting my tongue 
into the various curves suggested by the trum- 
pets, and breathing to bursting, I failed to 
get the slightest sound, and gave up the at- 
tempt before it gave me up. We drove out 
of the city, through hedged lanes, and over 
arbored roads, with a bewildering beauty of 
landscape, crowded with blossoming, sweet- 
smelling hawthorne trees. As we left the 
city behind us, we caught, at short range, 
our first real glimpse of English rural 
life. There is something peculiarly restful 
about the out-door life of England. The 
picturesque cottages with their thatched 
roofs, the varl-colored flowers growing about 
them, and the quiet hum of industry, make a 
picture of domestic quiet that is lacking In 
our own country, where the spirit of unrest 
and unsatisfied longing has become a national 
characteristic. 

A little later we found ourselves sur- 
rounded by a motley array of vehicles and all 
bound In the same direction. All London 
was apparently on wheels and In its highest 
spirits. All classes Intermingled on the hap- 
piest terms. It was Indeed a gala day, a red- 
letter day In the English sporting calendar. 
As we bowled along, groups of children, ver- 

i8 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Itable Dickens children, ragged and bare- 
footed, accosted us with cries of " throw out 
your mouldy coppers," at the same time run- 
ning beside the tally-ho with eager, expectant 
look, and palms none too clean, outstretched 
to catch the coveted coin. The phrase 
^' mouldy coppers " was new to us; but its 
very novelty added to the incident, and 
seemed to fit in with the quaint character of 
the surroundings. 

The congestion of vehicles and people 
gradually increased, and we were compelled 
to stop for a while at the Eagle Horn Tav- 
ern, which is at the foot of the downs, to rest, 
and feed our tired horses, before moving on. 
Occupying the box-seat as I did, I had an un- 
obstructed view of our surroundings. Sud- 
denly the driver gave a click of the whip, up 
the downs we rushed, a guard in advance of 
us, his hands flying to right and left, scatter- 
ing the densely packed crowd, and faster and 
faster plunged our four horses as if they were 
expected to win the " Derby." They did 
win the top of the downs in fine form. Then 
began a winding in and out among the thou- 
sands of vehicles surrounding us, for a good 
location, that showed our driver to be a very 
Napoleon of a whip. This gained, little 

19 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

time was lost in detaching the horses from 
the tally-ho and feeding and resting them 
preparatory to their long journey London- 
ward. By this time every Inch of ground as 
far as the eye could see was packed with vehi- 
cles, from the pea-nut venders' carts to the 
stately coaches. 

A feature of Derby-day, unknown to our 
own race-tracks, Is the license given to a cer- 
tain class of vaudeville actors, negro min- 
strels and others, engaged in plying their vo- 
cation, for a consideration of course. The 
men with black faces cracked their jokes, 
sometimes at the expense of our neighbors, 
and sometimes at ours, passing slowly from 
vehicle to vehicle, and, where their efforts to 
amuse were successful, shaking a tambourine 
before their auditors for their expected re- 
ward. As they turn away, there is a sudden 
burst of laughter, and, stalking through the 
crowd on stilts of exaggerated length, comes 
a clown with painted face and white costume, 
the people scattering good naturedly before 
him. At the same moment a woman, dressed 
gypsy fashion, appears at your side and offers 
to tell your fortune for the insignificant price 
of a shilling. From out of all the noise and 
confusion around you, rises occasionally the 

20 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

voice of a woman, fancifully attired, singing 
the latest music-hall production, or an old- 
time English or Scotch ballad so dear to the 
hearts of these people. It was all very de- 
lightful. 

Across the turf were the club houses 
densely packed with people, including the 
King and Queen, and such other persons of 
distinction as were privileged to be so near 
•the finish; for the horses did not start at 
this point, but a good half mile farther up 
the track. The King and Queen, with their 
royal following, occupied seats specially re- 
served for the occasion. The English King, 
or the " great white King " as he is called by 
the swarthy tribes of Africa, is well worth a 
brief description. He is about sixty-five years 
old, and rather under the medium height. 
He inherits his short stature from his mother 
who, also, was short. He is stout, and in- 
clined to corpulency. His bluish-gray eyes 
are markedly prominent. He is said to be 
partial to Americans, and he is a good friend 
of America, as was Queen Victoria, that rare 
type of wife and mother, and greatest of 
women rulers. So I have nothing but good 
words for this distinguished gentleman, con- 
summate diplomat and far-seeing statesman. 

21 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Popular with the people in his youth, he is, if 
possible, more popular at his present period 
of life. May his reign be a long and a 
happy one ! 

The Queen, for her years, is remarkably 
young looking. She has the bearing of a 
high-bred woman. She has a pleasing face, 
what women call a " sweet" face. She is of 
medium height, quite slender and graceful. 
She wears her hair as one has been accus- 
tomed to see it for years, in photographs of 
her. She walks with a perceptible limp, using 
a cane as a support. I should call her a 
pretty woman; but not a great beauty. Her 
face is a fine index of her character, and it 
reflects the agreeable personal qualities that 
have made her so popular with the English 
people. 

Queen Alexandra is of Danish birth, and 
was reared, from all accounts, in the severe 
school of self-denial, with rare indulgence 
only in those extravagances that are now re- 
garded as the commonest pleasures of the 
nouveau-riche. Before her marriage to the 
Crown Prince, the British people were pre- 
pared to give her a generous reception, for 
they possessed full knowledge of her modest 
and gentle virtues. Tennyson voiced the 

2.2. 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

popular verdict in a poem written by him to 
celebrate the event, beginning: 

'^ Norman, Saxon, Dane are we. 
Yet we are all Danes in our welcome to 
thee!' 

How different the English race course 
from ours ! The English track is grass-cov- 
ered and sloping, so that horses and riders 
look as if they would roll over any minute. 
My friends at home tell me I have extraordi- 
nary luck on picking winners, and my luck 
did not desert me on this occasion. I reserved 
my bet for the race of the day — " the Derby." 
For this race there were five entries, one 
of them being an English-bred horse owned 
by his majesty the King. The King, as I 
have said, is tremendously popular with his 
subjects; but his popularity did not extend to 
his horse which sold well down in the pools. 
I placed my money on the French horse 
D'Urbeville, at odds of five to one, and he 
proved an easy winner. When the money 
was handed me I made a mental reservation 
that my winnings should be used to buy a 
souvenir spoon to add to my collection of like 
articles at home. 

23 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

I did buy one In London. The bowl of the 
spoon is stamped with the face of the late 
Queen Victoria. The handle is tipped with 
a rose, emblem of England. 

At noon the scene resembled a huge circus 
and picnic combined. Tables spread here 
and there were filled with ham, chicken, sal- 
ads, sandwiches, soda, champagne and 
many other delicacies. Coaching parties were 
served from the tops of coaches, and none 
went hungry, apparently, yet there were many 
to beg and food to spare. 

Suddenly, roar upon roar breaks upon the 
excited people. "They're off! " shouts every 
throat. Instantly thousands of faces are 
turned in one direction like the heads of geese 
upon the common. 

Finally, amid cheers, waving of hats and 
sticks, flutterings of handkerchiefs, and — the 
Derby is won. 'Twas a sight to stir the emo- 
tions and gladden the eyes. 

Then began the puzzle of getting away 
safely from the winding " downs," and 
through the great congestion of vehicles and 
" tooting " of horns. Soon all that remained 
of the former animated scene was orange 
peel, waste-paper, and a great stretch of 
trampled turf. 

24 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

May iSth. 

A morning stroll on the strand was short- 
ened by evidence of an approaching storm. 
This afternoon we had our first glimpse of 
social life In the great metropolis, at a small 
tea given in our honor at the home of Mr. 
Henry White, first secretary of the American 
Embassy. Upon our arrival the door opened 
as if by magic, and within stood, what seemed 
to me, three dummies; but a slight dip of the 
head proved them to be human. They re- 
tained their rigid attitude. Neither of them 
offered to take our wraps; but left that deli- 
cate attention to ourselves. That was a 
shock that did not prove serious, however, 
so on we gently tripped up the handsome red- 
carpeted stairway, to the drawing-room, 
where we found our host and hostess and 
their attractive young daughter, Miss Muriel 
White. 

The house, as we entered it, seemed to be 
filled only with space, so little furniture and 
bric-a-brac was to be seen. In the drawing- 
room, what furniture there was, was fixed 
against the wall. The only picture on the 
wall was a rare painting of Lady Hamilton 
standing out with a particularly brilliant color 
effect from a back-ground of white. At one 

25 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

end of the drawing-room was a beautifully 
appointed table filled with delicacies, chiefest 
among them the English strawberry, which 
is difficult to excel in size or flavor. 

We were supposed to remain a half hour, 
at which time we were politely escorted from 
the drawing-room to the front door, where 
our carriages awaited us. Away we rattled 
over the stony streets to our hotel, all 
smiles, that even three dumb attendants could 
not chase away. And that was our first 
glimpse of London society. 

May I'jth. 

The event of the day was a long tramway 
ride about the edges of London, if London 
can have edges, as it seems to go everywhere 
the country around, and is so full of rich and 
rare beauties. Many of its roads are market- 
lined, that is, both sides of the streets for 
blocks are filled with small stalls, canopy- 
covered, each stall vieing with the other in 
its artistically arranged fruits or vegetables. 
In all foreign markets the women sellers pre- 
dominate, and make picturesque figures with 
their quaint dresses and caps. 

May 20th. 

A sun-wrapped day. After a ride on top 
of a stage (as he who rides otherwise loses 

26 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

much of the life and movement of London's 
busy thoroughfare), down the streaming 
Strand, through Friday Street, Pilgrim Lane, 
Fetter Lane, Distaff Lane, Bishops Gate 
Without, Bishops Gate Within, and up the 
Strand again, where we found our way to 
" Ye Cheshire Cheese Inn," the rendezvous 
in years agone of Sam Johnson, Oliver Gold- 
smith, and m^any other literary lights long 
since extinguished by Father Time. After 
a luncheon of chops, cheese and beer, we 
strolled Into the " court," which Is bounded 
by a few ancient houses Including those of 
Oliver Goldsmith and Sam Johnson, with the 
Cheshire Cheese Inn but a few feet away. 
As you enter the dark and dingy Inn, you 
wonder where you will eat. You are ushered 
into a long, narrow " grill " room with a 
very low celling, and sawdust-covered floor. 
There Is the same old " settle " In the corner 
by the huge mantel, where Goldsmith and 
Johnson were wont to sit and enjoy their 
pipe and ale, surrounded by their convivial 
friends of Grub Street. 

May 315/. 
Down the Strand again we went, this time 
in a hansom, as we wished to satisfy our curi- 
osity in seeing the hard-visaged people who 

27 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

dwell among the narrow, tortuous streets of 
Whitechapel. The air of the place was 
that of an auction day, rather than that of a 
Sunday. We went through all the lane-like 
streets of Petticoat Lane, St. Mary's Axe, 
Houndsditch, Spitalsfields and White Horse 
Street which were crowded with all ages from 
the tiny tots in their ragged mothers' arms, 
to the gray-haired men and women whose 
lives seemed to have been steeped in vice, so 
blear-eyed and hardened they appeared. One 
scarcely dared be caught looking at them 
curiously, for fear of rudeness, as the sight 
of a well-dressed man or woman seemed to 
send the rapid fire of anger to their faces. A 
more ruffianly-looking crew than the most of 
the men would be difficult to find outside of 
a penitentiary. They seemed fitted for rob- 
bery, aye, murder. 

The curious stranger who visits this region 
of quaint, dirty, poverty-laden, stall-lined 
streets, and of evil reputation at night, and 
alone, often furnishes the subject of a police 
item in the daily newspapers, under the title 
of " mysterious disappearance." It is safe 
enough to visit Whitechapel as a member 
of a party, piloted by a member of the police 
force, but not otherwise. 

28 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

In Whitechapel, a veritable clothes-mar- 
ket of Lazarus, there seems little, If any, dif- 
ference, between the brute-woman and the 
brute-man. A policeman may be seen now 
and then on a corner, to act as a safeguard. 
His presence Is respected by every one. 
There Is no weapon In his hand. The Lon- 
don police are known the world over as 
splendidly disciplined, perfect In dress, and 
polite and courteous, ruling crowd and traf- 
fic, no matter how congested, with the Index 
finger alone. When that finger goes up, traf- 
fic Instantly stops, not to be resumed until 
another signal. The London policeman Is 
truly a guardian of the peace, and his record 
at headquarters Is based, not on the large 
number of arrests, but on the smallness of 
them. Without himi the street traffic of this 
greatest of cities could not move. Under his 
guidance It flows steadily, and — If I might 
use the term — serenely. No vehicle of either 
high or low degree would dare to disregard 
his Injunction to stop, or proceed, as the case 
might be. To do otherwise, would be to pay 
a heavy fine and to forfeit the driver's license. 
Yet the London " bobby," like all his race, 
is ever on the lookout for a tip. He knows 
that you are an American the moment you 

29 



Y 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

speak, and he beams on you with all the good- 
nature of a " cousin " who expects a gratuity 
in return for his assistance. It is difficult at 
first to understand him, for he scatters his 
h's about with a reckless disregard of the 
rules of orthography, and he invariably pro- 
nounces the letter a like an /. As you move 
away you hand him two pennies which are 
equal to four American cents. He smiles 
approvingly, touches his hat politely, and 
drops the coins into his capacious pocket. 
Fancy giving a New York policeman four 
cents for his information! You would be 
lucky to live long enough to tell the tale. 

In our wanderings about town to-day, we 
found ourselves at one o'clock at Greenwich. 
Here we luncheoned at the Old Ship Tavern, 
a hostelry long celebrated in English song 
and story. 

Greenwich Is the seat of the Royal Ob- 
servatory, founded in 1675, from the merid- 
ian of which English astronomers make their 
calculations. The correct time for the whole 
of England is settled here at i p. M. 

After luncheon we strolled about the 
quaint town, and seeing an imposing build- 
ing, inquired of a lad, what it was. He re- 
plied, " It's a 'orspital for s'llors." Finally it 

30 



FROM ' CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

dawned on us that it was a hospital for sail- 
ors, our difficulty in understanding the young- 
ster being due to the cockney habit, as I have 
previously explained, of pronouncing their a^s 
like i's, and dropping their aspirates. After 
this experience we mounted the top of a stage 
and rode back to London, through Old Kent 
road, with its little gray houses labeled " an- 
cient lights." A unique wooden sign on the 
front of one of the little houses struck me 
as very curious. It was that of a camel, 
surmounted by a large cross, and a figure 
representing Christ. As I could find no one 
to explain this strange sign, it still remains a 
mystery. 

June 1st. 

Again we went " slumming " to White- 
chapel through Petticoat Lane, Hugging 
Lane, Kissing Lane, Honey Lane, Iron Mon- 
ger Lane, and Cushion Court, greatly enjoy- 
ing the scenes and signs such as " Ye Old 
Silver Stew," of 1602, and "Ye Old Tofiee 
Shoppe " of High Hoburn, and other similar 
signs where the old Shakespearian houses, 
with their gabled and quaint windows, are a 
picturesque feature. 

June 2nd. 

We visited Westminster Abbey, time- 

31 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

stained, with its royal burial vaults, and long 
series of monuments to celebrated men. It 
Is, Indeed, a Temple of Fame. An interment 
within Its walls Is considered the last and 
greatest honor that the Nation can bestow 
on the most deserving of her offspring. Some 
of the tombs therein, are those of Handel of 
the voice that charmed and gave cheeriness 
to the mariners of England; of Ben Jonson, 
with the words, " O Rare Ben Jonson !" cut In 
the pavement; Dr. Watts, the famous hymn- 
writer, with the inscription, '' All the world 
is my parish." David Garrick, commemo- 
rated In a life-size statue, Is represented as 
stepping out from behind a curtain that he 
opens with extended arms. Also that of 
John Gay, poet, whose Inscription by himself 
reads: 

^^ Life is a jest, all things show it: 
I thought so once, now I know itJ^ 

Notable among many others, are those of 
Shakespeare, Tennyson, Dickens, and Glad- 
stone. 

Leaving the hall of tombs, we visited the 
chapel of Henry VII. On each side are 
carved choir-stalls In dark oak, beautifully 
executed. On entering, the eye is astonished 

32 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

by the pomp of architecture and elaborate 
beauty of sculpture detail. The walls are 
incrusted with tracery and scooped into niches 
with statues of saints and martyrs. While 
in the Abbey a guide politely described the 
Coronation scene, pointing out the throne 
with its carved high-backed chairs on which 
sit the King and Queen, and where I sat and 
reigned for a minute, and where sit the Royal 
family; the galleries where sit the lords and 
ladies, and the space allotted to the public, 
so that with the royal robes of state, and be- 
wigged and black-cloaked lords, and gor- 
geously gowned and bejeweled women, the 
ensemble was easily imagined. 

From Westminster Abbey we wended our 
way through lower, or old London, to enjoy 
the celebrated old home of Richard III, then 
known as Crosby Hall, built in 1466, by Sir 
John Crosby, and once occupied by the no- 
torious Duke of Gloucester, afterwards by 
Richard III. For a long time Crosby Hall 
was used for the reception of Ambassadors, 
and was considered the finest house in Lon- 
don. It became in turn a prison, a meeting- 
house, and a concert and lecture hall. It is 
one of the few existing relics of the mediaeval 
London, and the only one of the Gothic 

33 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

style. Now it Is one of the most celebrated 
restaurants of London, and famous for Its 
perfect roasts. In many restaurants of Eu- 
rope It Is the custom to serve huge joints of 
beef or mutton from a good-sized table, on 
which rests a large platter containing the 
roasts. The roasts are wheeled from table 
to table, and you are served with a large or 
small piece as you desire. And so It was 
here at Crosby Hall that we luncheoned, 
after which we visited The Ship and Turtle 
Tavern, going later to what was In 1500 
the home of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wol- 
sey. Few houses In London have had a more 
curious and checkered history than 17 Fleet 
Street, so long known to Londoners as the 
Palace of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wol- 
sey. The earliest authentic records show the 
building to have been acquired by James I 
as an office for the Duchy of Cornwall. For 
a long time Henry, Prince of Wales, used It 
as a town residence prior to his untimely 
death. The house Is said to have passed soon 
after from the possession of the Duchy of 
Cornwall, and was then turned Into one of 
the coffee-houses for which Fleet Street be- 
came famous. Later the building was the 
scene of a wax-work exhibition. Latterly 

34 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the premises were used by a hair-dresser. 
The house Is one of the few specimens of the 
late Tudor architecture, left by the great fire 
of London, which ceased Its ravages within 
a few feet east of It. 

June 2,rd. 
I visited the National Gallery of Art, 
where one can spend days and days enjoying 
the master-pieces of Rousseau, Reynolds, Van 
Dyke, Greuze, Gainsborough, Watteau, Ra- 
fael^, Murillo, Lawrence, Romey, Titian, 
D'Aublgne, Turner, Landseer and others. 
After this feast of Art, taking as It did the 
greater part of the day, I was glad to return 
to the hotel to rest my stiffened neck and tired 
ankles before going to dine at the Carleton, 
London's most exclusive hotel. A feature of 
such London hotels Is the gilt-gartered flunky 
who stands at the entrance to direct you. If 
you are In full evening dress, he patroniz- 
ingly passes you within the portals, where 
others pass you on to the dining-hall. If you 
are not in full evening dress he treats you 
with unutterable Indifference, in fact he as 
much as tells you to move on, and on you 
move, but you are very careful to see that 
there is no gilt-gartered flunky to bar your 
entrance to the next restaurant. 

35 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Once within the Salle-a-manger of the 
Carleton, the scene is that of a great banquet 
hall where men and women, comme il faiit in 
the matter of dress, make a striking ensemble. 
Here, one sees the British people at their best. 
No loud talking is heard; a quiet dignity per- 
vades the room, and you are in the company 
of that most satisfying element — rich or poor 
— the well-bred. It was at the Carleton we 
dined to-night with Mr. Enrique Creel* who 
was host of a dinner party. 

June 4.th. 

When passing St. Paul's Cathedral to- 
day, I sauntered through the little graveyard 
beside it. Churches standing in the center 
of " God's Acre " are familiar to all who 
have traveled through England. Here I am' 
reminded that on a previous visit to England, 
we visited the oldest church on the Isle of 
Wight. It was St. Mary's church, dating 
from the year 700. Its small graveyard 
with its ancient tombstones lying at all angles 
like a witch's fangs was literally over-run with 
weeds, many of which we were obliged to 
push aside in order to see the inscriptions on 

* Since these lines were written Mr. Creel has 
represented the Republic of Mexico as Ambassador 
at Washington and is now serving as Governor of 
Chihuahua. 

36 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the stones. Among them we found several 
that were grotesquely humorous. One of 
them read: 

Sacred to the memory of Thomas Williher, 
Pain was my portion 
Physick was my food, 
Groans my devotion 
Drugs did me no good. 

Christ my physician 
Knowing what was best, 
To ease me of my pain 
He took my soul to rest. 

Another read: 

In memory of Jane, Wife of Wm, Joloffe, 
died 1810. 

Look and see as you pass by 
As you are now so once was I, 
As I am now you are sure to be, 
Prepare for death and follow me. 

Now that I have gone back a few years to 
refer to a previous visit we made to England 
when we came across the epitaphs I have 
quoted, I might as well relate an Interesting 
circumstance connected with it. We crossed 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

frorm Southampton to Cowes on a delight- 
fully mild day In September, after some 
weeks spent on the Continent. We lunch- 
eoned at a fine old English inn a little off 
the main street. Later, while we were look- 
ing in the shop windows, we were approached 
by a horsey looking young man who, whip in 
hand, and touching his hat politely, asked us 
if we would not like to make a driving trip 
around the Island. He told us we could 
easily cover the distance In three days, and 
that the entire cost would be a pound a day. 

" Does this include your expenses and 
those of the horse? " queried my husband. 

"It Includes everything," said the horsey 
young man, — " everything except " — here 
he coughed slightly, and with a humorous 
twinkle of the eye, modestly added, " every- 
thing except a tip for the driver." 

A bargain was quickly made and we started 
from Cowes in a landeau In which his Royal 
Highness, the Prince of Wales, now King 
Edward, had been frequently driven. This 
gave a touch of interest. If not of softness, to 
the seats of the vehicle. 

Before starting on our drive, the coach- 
man, pointing with his whip, said, " Over 
there, across the river, is Osborne Castle, a 

38 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

favorite castle of the Queen." It loomed 
above the heart of a forest. I said to the 
coachman, " Is the Queen at the Castle, and 
is it possible to see her? " He replied, " Yes, 
Lady ! the Queen will leave in three days for 
Balmoral. If we make our trip within that 
time and get back about this hour, we can see 
her taking her usual evening drive." I said, 
jubilant at the thought of seeing the Queen, 
" Cut the drive a little short, make good time, 
we must not lose the opportunity of seeing 
her." Assuring us that we should not fail 
to see the Queen, we hurriedly gathered our 
belongings, and in a little while were far 
ahead on our journey. 

Our first stop was at Freshwater, so free 
from general travel, that one does not won- 
der that it preserves so well its sweet and sim- 
ple charm of repose. 

At Freshwater lived the poet-laureate at 
that time. Lord Tennyson. The poet's 
house, set in a tangle of gnarled oaks 
and dense shrubbery, and surrounded by a 
high wall, was but a few hundred yards re- 
moved from the main street of the village. 
Here Tennyson lived almost a recluse. The 
villagers spoke of him with great respect, 
principally because of his literary fame; but 

39 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

with little appreciation perhaps of his genius. 
He seldom appeared in the streets of Fresh- 
water ; in fact was seldom seen in the privacy 
of his own grounds, for he had a horror of 
strangers, and especially of Americans, who 
had not hesitated, on many occasions, auto- 
graph book in hand, to seek his presence. 

The Hotel Albion, where we stayed over 
night, was English pure and simple. It was 
kept by a charmingly dainty little widow, 
whose refinement was reflected in every ap- 
pointment of the inn. The appearance of 
the pretty maids in their quaint caps, and 
with pleasing manners, delighted us, for no- 
where in our own country can their counter- 
part be found. Their voices are sweet and 
musical, they speak in low tones; and with 
their fresh English complexions add a touch 
of delicate, living beauty to their quiet sur- 
roundings. 

We were furnished with the usual five 
o'clock tea shortly after our arrival, and this 
was followed by an exceptionally good din- 
ner two hours later. 

At the table d'hote we fell into conversa- 
tion with a Londoner, the president of a line 
of steamers plying between Liverpool and 
the Azores, and his clever and entertaining 

40 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

wife. The conversation turned to the " float- 
ing palaces " on our inland waters, and espe- 
cially to the fine fleet of Sound steamers be- 
tween New York and Fall River. 

" How many passengers are these boats al- 
lowed to carry? " queried the Londoner of 
my husband. 

" Oh! just as many as can get aboard," re- 
plied the latter, with blunt American direct- 
ness. 

The Englishman threw his head back, and 
laughed so heartily that all the guests in the 
dining-room turned quickly in our direction. 
As his laughter subsided, he exclaimed, 
^' That's a typical American answer. You are 
the most reckless people in the world." 

At nine o'clock one of the demure little 
maids, candle in hand, lighted us to our 
chamber, and her cheery good-night was still 
ringing in our ears when the slumber of night 
enveloped us. 

True to our coachman's promise, two days 
later we halted beside one of the main en- 
trances to Osborne Castle. At each of the 
four entrances stood a guard, dressed in crim^ 
son coat, white knee-breeches and black 
beaver with a broad gilt band about the 
crown. 

41 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

It was near the entrance where we stopped, 
that we had hoped to see the Queen drive out. 
Alas! far down a beautifully wooded vista, 
we espied a brougham with white horses com- 
ing out of a gate. In a few minutes, a toss 
of the hand of the guard at that entrance 
showed us that the Queen had gone from 
there for her drive. 

Fancy our disappointment! We did not 
lose hope. A guard standing close by no- 
ticed our disappointment. To him I said, 
" We are Americans, and want very much to 
see Her Majesty the Queen." He rephed, " I 
hope you can. If you will drive to the three 
cross-roads, half a mile away, and wait there 
you will see her, as she has only gone to New 
Port to say good-bye to friends before leav- 
ing for Balmoral to-morrow." 

In a short time we were at the cross-roads. 
Every noise kept us on the qui-vive of expect- 
ancy. Finally, around a bend in the road, 
came a mounted lackey, followed by the 
Queen's carriage. With a ring of pleasur- 
able excitement in the coachman's voice, he 
hurriedly said, " Stand, sir and lady, in the 
carriage ! " So we stood as the royal car- 
riage with its distinguished occupants passed 
slowly, as the coachman, judging from his 

42 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

twinkling eyes, realized our eagerness to see 
Queen Victoria. What we saw was this : A 
very old lady whose sombre attire was re- 
lieved by a single touch of color — a white 
scarf, folded in broad outline around the 
crown of her bonnet and knotted at the chin. 
She was accompanied by her young grand- 
daughter the Princess Victoria and one of the 
ladies in waiting. As her carriage came op- 
posite, the Queen, who sat In a half-reclining 
position on the back seat, gave us a keen, pene- 
trating glance out of a pair of shrewd-look- 
ing eyes. A moment later she had disap- 
peared; but we were happy In the thought 
that we had seen the most Illustrious ruler In 
all the world. 

Before leaving home I had read In a New 
York newspaper that the Queen's eyesight 
was failing, and that her physicians feared 
that she might become totally blind. Blind ! 
there was penetration enough in that glance 
for several pairs of good eyes. 

After the Queen had been driven far 
ahead of us, we drove back to our starting 
point, to reward the guard to whom we were 
indebted for so great a favor. As soon as he 
saw us, he ran with flushed face to our car- 
riage and exclaimed, " Oh, lady, did you see 

43 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the Queen?" "Oh yes!" I replied. "I 
am so glad," '' So ami I ! " he said, and on 
to Ryde we drove, having completed our 
drive over the Garden of England, as is called 
the Isle of Wight. 

June ^th. 
This afternoon we were Invited and went 
to '' La Fourchelle," a constitutional club, a 
charming old aristocratic club of London. 
Its entrance is very imposing with Its walls in 
parts studded with mosaics, its broad red- 
carpeted stairway leading to Its several 
rooms fromf whose walls hang paintings of 
people and scenes connected with the club. 
After a chat on club life we were conducted 
to the tea-room, where, from a dainty tea- 
table, we were served with tea, sandwiches 
and strawberries, by a fine old gentleman 
whose name, I regret to say, I have forgotten. 

June 6th. 
We started for an early stroll down the 
Strand. It was about eight o'clock, and 
London seemed still napping. In a little 
while every by-way was a congestion of mov- 
ing advertisements, that is the " busses " so 
covered with advertisements of every color, 
that when a great number are bunched to- 

44 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

gether they look like a huge circus caravan. 
The pleasure of a drive on top of them ! 
You feel as if you are literally swinging in the 
air. After mounting one this morning, I 
took a front seat where my feet were left to 
swing in space. In looking down in the cor- 
ner just below my seat, I discovered a great 
hole large enough for me to have easily 
dropped through. The driver, whose head 
was just below the level of the top of the 
stage, looked up on hearing my exclamation 
of fear, and said, " Lidy, have faith in me." 
As It was a question of faith, I let myself go, 
and greatly enjoyed the ride. 

June "jth. 
We went to St. Paul's Cathedral this after- 
noon to witness the special service of hospital 
Sunday. The King and Queen were to be 
present. With a natural desire to see them 
we went very early, yet at that time guards on 
foot and on horse were In evidence all about 
the Cathedral. Provided with special tickets, 
we were given seats in the second row from 
the front In the center aisle. We could have 
asked for no better place. It was not long 
before the great structure was filled to over- 
flowing — a veritable sea of humanity. Sud- 

45 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

denly the organ pealed its mighty music, and 
outside could be heard distinctly the royal 
band as if in unison with the organ. There 
was a craning of necks, when the royal pro- 
cession came slowly down the center aisle. 
It was preceded by the King and Queen. 
Following them the Prince of Wales and 
Princess Victoria, the Duke of Connaught, 
his wife and 'daughters; Princess Beatrice, 
and lastly the Duke of Cambridge with tot- 
tering steps and bent form; covered with a 
long mantle of white bordered with scarlet. 

It was a fine opportunity to see the King 
and Queen. Not in royal robes, 'tis true, but 
none the less imposing. The King wore the 
conventional frock coat with dark trousers, 
carrying in his left hand his silk hat. The 
Queen was gowned In a very simple, close-fit- 
ting black wool dress, and on her head a 
small severely plain black bonnet. 

The service lasted about two hours. Every 
one remained seated until the King and the 
royal family had withdrawn, when the signal 
of music from without told that the proces- 
sion was leaving the Cathedral. We lost lit- 
tle time in getting out to see the moving pano- 
rama of royalty, soldiers, and the people who 
maintain royalty. 

46 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

June Sth. 

The day was spent mainly In shopping. 
On entering the shops of London, one is espe- 
cially impressed with the appearance of the 
sales-women. In the large shops they are 
well-bred and courteous, with manners and 
bearing quite equal to those of the people they 
serve. Their hair is arranged with fashion- 
able effect, and they are gowned in black silk 
or satin, that fit to perfection their perfect 
figures. You cannot treat these people un- 
civilly — they will not permit it. Nor will 
their employers permit it. They give you 
every attention that the business demands, 
and they expect courtesy and respect in re- 
turn. I have seen them quietly withdraw 
from offending customers, whose brusque 
manners had wounded their feelings, and 
send another sales-woman to finish the trade. 
In less pretentious shops the women are 
equally polite, and more simply gowned. 
Their usual attire is a dress of black wool, 
the deep simplicity of which is relieved by a 
white muslin apron. 

June gth. 

To-night we attended the opera at Co- 
vent Garden where Sembrich, supported by 
an excellent company, gave a superb interpre- 

47 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

tation of " Der Meistersinger." We occu- 
pied the box of Lord and Lady Dawkins. 
There was room in it for the ladies only. 
The men sat directly below in the parquette. 
Covent Garden for fifty years has been sacred 
to Italian opera. Within its walls have been 
heard every singer of renown during that pe- 
riod. The theater has a seating capacity of 
thirty-five hundred, and the acoustics are per- 
fect. It gets its name from the building 
that occupied the original site which was one 
of the many convents erected in England dur- 
ing the period of the Georges. 

June loth. 
It is raining to-day. We spent our time 
visiting the Wallace collection of beautiful 
jewels and paintings. Among the latter were 
many excellent examples of Greuze, Gains- 
borough, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Watteau, Mu- 
rillo, and Champagne. Where one sees so 
many paintings of rare merit as are here ex- 
hibited, it is difficult to say which has pleased 
one the most ; but if I were compelled to make 
a choice, I should decide in favor of Greuze 
of the dreamy eyes. I am not saying that it 
possesses greater merit than many of its com- 
panion pieces; but it impressed me more 
deeply than the others. 

48 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

June I \th. 
Another rainy day. We were compen- 
sated for our enforced stay in doors, as we sat 
in the reading-room, facing the Thames, 
that celebrated river of dirt and story, by see- 
ing the King and his brilHant staff passing 
along the embankment, on their way to the 
opening of a new hospital. First came the 
guards with their brass helmets and waving 
plumes. They were mounted on black Hano- 
verian horses, and presented an imposing ap- 
pearance as they rode with soldierly dignity 
their slow-moving steeds. The spectacular 
effect of the occasion was heightened by the 
long cardinal cloaks worn by the riders which 
stretched from the shoulders in long graceful 
folds, almost covering the animals themselves. 
The King's carriage came next. It was 
drawn by four white horses with red trap- 
pings and outriders. Other members of the 
Royal family followed, and lastly came an- 
other detachment of red-cloaked guards. 

June 12th. 
Tate's Gallery was visited. After sev- 
eral hours spent In enjoying its valued collec- 
tion, we strolled down the Thames embank- 
ment. Our feet began to fail us when we In- 

49 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

quired of a laborer, who was strolling in a 
lazy fashion beside his horse and cart, " How 
far is it to the House of Parliament?" he 
replied, " Look pleasant and smiling and 
you'll soon come to it," and we did. 

To-night we attended a reception given by 
the Marchioness Lansdowne at Lansdowne 
House. It was a long drive through the 
heart of London, via Picadilly Circus. The 
streets were all as bright as lights everywhere 
could make them, and two-wheelers (coupes) 
were speeding in all directions. We finally 
reached the grounds which were encircled by 
a high wall. Within the house the scene was 
one of extreme brilliancy. Beauty in the 
women was rare, but the brilliancy of their 
jewels could not be excelled. Coronets, tia- 
ras, crowns with collars and ropes of jewels 
to match, were worn on beautiful heads and 
swan-like throats, and frowsy heads and bony 
necks alike. Lady Lansdowne greeted us 
cordially. Notwithstanding the presence of 
several hundred guests, one could move with 
ease through the spacious apartments. I 
found the reception-room strikingly unique. 
The walls are pure white, with niches here 
and there filled with statuary. A huge crys- 
tal chandelier threw from the center of the 

50 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

celling a white light over all the surrounding 
objects. The effect was most pleasing, as 
there was nothing to detract from the bril- 
liant, moving mass of guests assembled. 

Lady Lansdowne represents the highest 
type of social culture. Her popularity was 
evidenced by the large concourse of people 
that attended her reception. It was one of 
those affairs, given such a hostess, as occurs 
in London at rare intervals. It was intended 
to bring together those harmonious elements 
that constitute the world of high fashion in 
the great British metropolis, and we were fa- 
vored, indeed, to have been there. 

June i^th. 

Another rainy day. We spent it at the 
British Museum. There is much here to in- 
terest the antiquarian and the archeologist, 
and one can spend several days profitably in 
a study of its rich and varied treasures. Be^ 
fore our departure, an incident occurred that 
shows how deeply ingrained in the British 
fibre is the desire to be paid for services that, 
in this country, would be regarded as miere 
courtesies for which no payment would be ac- 
cepted. 

My husband wanted to see a file of the 
London newspapers of a hundred years ago 

51 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

when journalism was still In its infancy. A 
trim-looking young fellow was assigned by the 
official in charge to get them. He was very 
courteous, and was manifestly a gentleman. 
When my husband had finished his examina- 
tion of the file, he handed it back to the 
young man with a brief " thank you," at the 
same time dropping his hand into his pocket 
— through force of habit, as I supposed. 
The young librarian pretended not to notice 
the action; but when it became evident that 
my husband intended to tip him, I shuddered 
with horror, and endeavored, with a depreca- 
tory wave of the hand, to discourage it. Dis- 
regarding my warning he drew out a hand- 
ful of coins and, selecting a shilling, 
handed it to the Englishman. I expected 
him to reject it with scorn and dramatically 
assert that, being a gentleman, his dignity 
was insulted. Greatly to my relief he ac- 
cepted the coin with a beaming smile and 
politely asked if he could do anything more 
for us. We declined his further assistance 
and strolled away. 

'' You make no mistake," said my husband, 
with the air of a mian who has solved a great 
economic truth, " in tipping anybody in this 
country," and perhaps he was right. 

52 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

June 14th. 

We were guests to-day of our Mexican 
friends, Mr. Creel, Mr. Camacho and Mr. 
Mead. We took the train as far as Putney, 
where a boat, well canopied and prettily ap- 
pointed, was waiting to take us up the 
Thames, the ancient tide of business and 
pleasure. There were frowning clouds above 
us; but the sunny smiles of our entertainers 
overcame the dampness in store for us. The 
dampness made itself felt, however, and 
drove us at times from the deck to the cabin 
where the windows were sufficiently large to 
afford a glimpse of the country. This, with 
the stream with its narrow, graceful curves, 
its beautifully be-flowered house-boats and 
flower-embowered homes, made a moving 
panorama of continual and exquisite beauty. 
There is only one Thames, and all lovers of 
the beautiful should see it. One of its great- 
est charms is where it nestles among the slop- 
ing hills of Richmond, where, if you will 
stand on one of its banks at sunset, you will 
see, as far as the eye can reach, a succession 
of hills as level apparently as if planed, cov- 
ered with a haze of purple, gold and green 
perfectly blended. 

A generous luncheon was served shortly 

53 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

after our departure, in the cabin; but the 
fates, alas ! were against us. The rain fell 
steadily, sometimes in feeble drizzles that en- 
couraged us to believe that the worst was 
over, and then, with scarcely a moment's 
warning, a furious downpour would send us 
scurrying again to the cabin. About three 
o'clock in the afternoon our hosts, discour- 
aged at the dreary outlook, stopped at Wind- 
sor, where we went ashore and returned to 
London by rail. Notwithstanding the rain 
the day was an enjoyable one, and It stands 
out in my memory as one of the ntost delight- 
ful experiences of our European trip. 

June i^th. 
A stage ride down the Strand to St. 
Helens, where Shakespeare was a parishioner. 
After leaving the church, I wanted to find a 
special shop for kid gloves, so I asked the 
first '' bobby " I saw if he would please direct 
me to Poultry street, as I knew if I found the 
street, the shop would be easily located. 
" Bobby " was a man fully six feet high, and 
he looked down upon me smilingly, at the 
same time saying, " Lidy [lady], you don't 
want Poultry street." " Yes I do ! " I re- 
plied. ^' No you don't," again smiling good- 

54 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

naturedly. "Yes!" I again replied, "I 
want to find Poultry street. I am sure It Is 
near here; but I do not know just which way 
to turn." Unfortunately for me several 
business streets radiated from that point 
where I was struggling to find Poultry street. 
Finally the " bobby " said, " LIdy, you just 
want Poultry." " Ah, yes ! " I smilingly said, 
" just Poultry," and to Poultry he guided me. 
It was only a few feet away. I found the 
shop and the gloves I wanted, and went back 
to the hotel a wiser woman, because I had 
learned the difference between Poultry street 
and Poultry. 

June i6th. 
Devoted the day to rest. If there Is one 
who does not need rest In London, that little 
world In itself, one is indeed fatigue-proof. 

June lyth. 

The early morning was given to " slum- 
ming " again through Whitechapel. I was 
more than ever impressed with Its similarity 
to the East Side of New York, where live 
about the same class of foreign-born people 
with a like amount of squalor and dirt. 

Later we drove through residential Lon- 
don, of which Carleton Terrace, terraced 

55 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

high as it is, and containing the homes of the 
best-known people of London, is the most 
attractive part. Conspicuous among the 
homes is that of the Duke and Duchess of 
Marlborough, a stately edifice with great 
gardens, and flowering hedges of red and 
green. This description, now that I have 
written it, does not fully explain my 
meaning. English hedges In general, while 
well trimmed, and severely uniform In height, 
are of one color, green, though the hedge of 
holly is not Infrequently seen. But the hedge 
that Incloses the town house of the Duke of 
Marlborough differs from any other that I 
have ever seen. Thickly planted among the 
green, are pink roses, and the combination 
was harmonious and strikingly beautiful. 
The air about the place was flower-perfum:ed, 
and the intoxicating scent of the ensemble lin- 
gered on the atmosphere long after we had 
left the locality. We had some business at 
the bank which took us to the "city" again. 
Returning to the hotel our driver, pointing to 
a building, venerable with age, yet bearing all 
the appearance of a gloomy old fortress of 
ancient date, said with blunt English direct- 
ness, "Newgate!" Newgate! what a host 
of memories that sinister word evoked! 

56 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

While yet a little girl I became acquainted 
with the famous old " highwayman " series 
of yellow-covered novels that my brothers 
used to read with breathless interest. They 
were, from a boy's standpoint, fascinating 
chronicles of such " Gentlemen of the Road " 
as Claude Duval, Dick Turpin, Jack Shepard 
and other adventurous spirits of Merrie Eng- 
land, of the stage-coach era. Such stories 
possess little attraction for girls; but the illus- 
trations, and the frequent appearance in them 
of Newgate prison, in which these bold blades 
spent no inconsiderable part of their time, 
were strongly impressed upon my memory. 
And so it was that I followed with interest 
the work of demolishing the old building, for 
a force of men were then engaged in razing 
it to the ground to make way for modern 
buildings, dedicated to the simple arts of 
trade and commerce. 

A little later we drove through Lincoln's 
Inn Fields, which is surrounded by lawyers' 
offices, and forms one of the largest squares 
in London. It was the hour of noon and a 
score or more of London legal lights, after 
a morning in court, were passing through the 
park to their offices. Their appearance was 
quite unlike that of the American attorney 

57 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

who wears no special dress when attending 
the sessions of the court. The English law- 
yer, on the contrary, invests his professional 
work with all the dignity that a formal style 
of dress permits. He wears a long gown, 
reaching to the shoe tops, and on his head a 
white wavy wig falling on the shoulders. The 
somberness of his attire is relieved at the neck 
by a white stole. 

A few years ago, on a previous visit to 
the great world of London, we had our first 
glimpse of this park. We were visiting cer- 
tain places made famous by Dickens. Hard 
by Lincoln's Inn Fields was a modest little 
two-story frame building with a projecting 
roof, so low that one could almost touch it. 
It is supposed to have been the original of the 
Old Curiosity Shop, the home of little Nell, 
of sweet, but sad memory. The owner of 
the house divided his time between the sale 
of photographs of the premises, and souvenir 
books, descriptive of Dickens' characters, and 
the buying and selling of rags. He said the 
house was a Mecca for American tourists 
who felt that a visit to London would be in- 
complete without a glimpse, at least, of this 
famous place. He was an amiable old chap, 
of the English lower middle class type, who 

58 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

bore with modesty the prominence that asso- 
ciation with the place had given him. 

Following us to the door and pointing to a 
house farther up the street he said, '' There's 
where Tulkinghorn lived — the house on 
crutcheSo" Naturally we were interested, 
for Dickens has drawn few, if any characters, 
that have impressed themselves more strongly 
upon the imagination than this shrewd old 
lawyer who finally wrought the undoing of 
the unhappy Lady Deadlock. It was a nar- 
row, three-story red-brick house. You enter 
the front door under a portico of white, sup- 
ported by pillars of sharply contrasting 
green. It was this portico, with its green pil- 
lars, that gave it the name of the " House on 
crutches," as it chanced to be the only house 
in that vicinity so designed. We were told 
afterwards that it was the home of John For- 
ster, Dickens' Intimate friend and biogra- 
pher. Lincoln's Inn Fields, aside from my 
personal experience of it, will be forever asso- 
ciated in my mind with a fanciful sketch, writ- 
ten years ago for one of our American maga- 
zines by Justin McCarthy, the Irish novelist 
and historian, entitled ^' Three Dream Hero- 
ines." The three dream heroines were Sal- 
lie, about whom Henry Carey wrote the fine 

59 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

old English ballad, " Sallie in our Alley"; 
Tom Hood's " Fair Inez," and Poe's " Anna- 
bel Lee." Upon the two " heroines " last 
named, the Irish litterateur employed all the 
resources of his rich fancy and power of 
graceful expression. But, much as their 
dainty, ethereal personalities appealed to him, 
it is plain that " Sallie " appealed to him 
quite as strongly, though she represented 
a different type of character. 

As I recall the sketch, he classified his 
heroines under three heads — the Real, the 
Ideal and the Never More. Sallie, the author 
tells us, was a pretty young girl, slight in 
stature, with small features, red lips and 
brown hair. She was not so pretty as her 
lover thought her, and we all ought to be 
glad of this, for if he did not idealize her, 
where would be his love? Her lover be- 
longed in the same social stratum (he was 
apprenticed to a trade of some sort) ; was 
short and under-sized, and really a common- 
place young man of the working class. But 
to Sallie he was perfection. '' Sweet and sa- 
cred magic of love," as McCarthy puts it, 
" that can thus transfigure the homeliest crea- 
ture into a form of heroic sympathy and 
beauty! " 

60 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

To him Sallie '' is the darling of my heart 
and she lives in our alley." He counts the 
time when shall arrive for both " The day 
that comes between Saturday and Monday " ; 
the day when they meet in Lincoln's Inn 
Fields for an afternoon together. Sallie is a 
trifle prim and frowns on any evidence of en- 
dearment in public. Nor will she enter the 
quietest-looking public house for a glass of 
beer, but goes instead to a little shop where 
penny ices are sold, and where her lover is 
quite free to smoke a ha-penny cigar. The 
unutterable dullness and depression of their 
trysting place does not affect them. Seen 
through the golden haze of their affection, it 
is an earthly Paradise and the dearest spot on 
earth. And here let us leave them. 

June iSth. 
The early morning was devoted to the 
Tower, the ancient fortress and gloomy state 
prison of London, which stands on the banks 
of the Thames. Though at first a royal pal- 
ace, it is best known as a prison. Here, as 
you enter, you see within the gate a quaintly 
attired guard. You find many such stationed 
throughout the buildings and grounds. They 
are known as the Yeomen of the Guard, and 

6i 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

are old soldiers of meritorious service. They 
have also a nick-name, " Beef-eaters," which 
is commonly explained as a corruption of 
Buffetiers, or attendants at the Royal Buffet. 
The name probably originated from their 
well-fed appearance and from the fact that 
rations of beef are regularly served to them 
when on duty. 

Their dress consists of a long blouse of 
dark blue cloth, belted at the waist, with a 
gay-colored girdle. With this is worn knee 
trousers of the same cloth and long stockings 
with buckled slippers. The hat is an attempt 
at a top hat. The crown is broad and low, 
and the brim narrow and curlir;g close to the 
crown. A band corresponding to the girdle 
surrounds the brim. 

Historically, the Tower is the most inter- 
esting spot in all history. Many of Eng- 
land's great names are associated with it. It 
was here that the young and beautiful Anne 
Boleyn was imprisoned and executed. A 
large square stone in the court marks the spot 
of this and many other noted executions. 
Within its gloomy walls was once imprisoned, 
by order of her sister, " Bloody Mary," she 
who, afterwards, became one of England's 
noted queens, Elizabeth. Sir Walter Ral- 

62 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

eigh, later, and by Elizabeth's order, was a 
prisoner also In the White Tower. 

The feature of special Interest to the 
women visitors Is the Wakefield Tower, which 
contains the Crown jewels, numbering among 
its valued collection Saint Edward's Crown; 
Queen Victoria's Crown, with not fewer than 
two thousand seven hundred and eighty-three 
diamonds and three hundred and ten other 
gems; the uncut ruby said to have been given 
to the Black Prince in 1367; a large sapphire 
which belonged to Edward the Confessor, 
and the Prince of Wales' crown of pure gold 
without precious stones. These, with many 
equally rare jewels, fill a huge case and attract 
great attention. 

To-night we are packing our trunks and to- 
morrow we shall start for Paris. We are 
leaving London regretfully. There Is no 
foreign city In which an American feels so 
much at home, as In this huge metropolis of 
the world. For, after all, there Is only one 
London. We shall always have a kindly 
feeling for the English people. We have 
found them uniformly courteous and polite, 
with the same appreciation of wit and humor 
that we Americans have arrogated exclusively 
to ourselves. The truth is, there Is little 

63 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

difference between the Englishm'an of a cer- 
tain class and the American of the same class. 
And the American who does not feel at home 
here is a peculiar individual, indeed. 

The maid who has charge of our room 
came in a few minutes ago to say " good- 
bye ! " and, incidentally, to receive her tip. 
She is a Scotch lassie of graceful figure, with 
melting brown eyes, shaded by long, dark 
lashes. She is a strikingly pretty girl, of 
modest manners, and soft gentle tones. Her 
eyes filled with tears as we bade her " Good- 
bye," for she had been our attendant for a 
month. My husband handed her a sover- 
eign — five dollars in American money. She 
made a profound curtsy, and turning to- 
¥/ard him said, " I am sorry, sir, that you and 
madam are going away. We seldom have 
such agreeable people to wait upon." She 
paused for a moment as if intending to say 
something more. The words, however, re- 
fused to come at her command. She was vis- 
ibly embarrassed. Then, feeling that she 
must say something, she exclaimed: "You 
are a perfect gentleman, sir." Then turning 
to me she added, " And so are you, madam ! " 

We were too considerate of Barbara's feel- 
ings to laugh at the faux pas in her presence; 

64 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

but It will provoke many a smile In the 
future. 

June igth. 

En route to Paris. A journey by train 
brought us to Dover, where we took the boat 
to Calais. Here again came fresh Dickens 
memories. All my life I have remembered 
Dover as the home of the eccentric Betsy 
Trotwood, to whose sheltering arms David 
Copperfield fled for protection from his cruel 
step-father, the gloomy Murdstone. As we 
passed through the town a cosy little cottage 
looking out upon the sea attracted my atten- 
tion, recalling the description of Mrs. Trot- 
wood's home — " a neat little cottage with 
cheerful bow-windows; In front of It, a small 
square graveled court, or garden, full of 
flowers, carefully attended and smelling dell- 
clously." If I had had the time I should 
have liked to stroll about Dover, for It, like 
many other places In provincial England, 
holds much of literary and historic Interest. 
But this was not to be, for the current of my 
thoughts was broken a minute later by our 
arrival at the wharf where we boarded the 
boat for Calais. 

Dinner was served Immediately we left the 
wharf, and an excellent dinner It was. No 

65 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

sooner was I served than I looked out of the 
port-hole, — why, I know not, as the sea was 
the last thing I wanted to see at that 
time, — and lo ! the tables had caught the 
spirit of the moving waves. A sudden 
lurch of the boat scattered things and 
people generally, and In the twinkling of 
an eye I found myself stretched on a 
lounge, covered with some man's rugs. 
I say some man's rugs, as on them 
lay an overcoat that I also appropri- 
ated. After turning comfortably on my 
back, I closed my eyes to shut out the sight of 
the man, who. If he should need his coverings, 
would surely not have the courage to rob me 
of what to me, just then, was so great a 
comfort. 

The channel ride from' Dover to Calais oc- 
cupies forty minutes ; but to the sea-sick trav- 
eler each minute Is an eternity. I am a 
wretched sailor; but on this occasion I found 
that many of my fellow-travelers, who prided 
themselves on their strong stomachs, were 
suffering likewise all the horrors of mal-de- 
mer. One of the exceptions was my hus- 
band, who strolled the decks as Indifferently 
as If we were sailing the surface of a placid 
river. I was not so 111 but that I observed 

66 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

his movements, and I wished that he might 
share my illness for five minutes, so that he 
might have a proper sympathy with me. This 
may have been a malevolent wish ; but it was 
^ .an. All this time the boat was plunging 

i rolling like an empty cask on a turbulent 
sea. The surf was breaking over the upper 
decks, and in all my experience I have never 
been so uncomfortable. About half way 
over my husband brought me a glass of gin- 
ger ale. It was very grateful to my sea- 
tossed stomach, and while I was drinking it, 
a steward approached us, and offered his serv- 
ices. My husband thanked him and, as the 
man started away, he remarked, '' Pretty 
rough trip, steward." The latter swept the 
foamy sea with a rapid glance, and non- 
chalantly responded, ''It is a bit nasty!" 
Nasty! the word doesn't half express it; it 
was vile, and I hope I shall never see its like 
again. 

And that was our experience from Dover 
to Calais, where we took the train for Paris. 
Beautiful France, the land of sun, of story, 
of romance and chivalry, was before us. 
France with its golden wheat-fields in which 
mingled scarlet poppies, and its beds of pop- 
pies entire, its artistic flower and vegetable 

67 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

beds, Its road-sides close by the railway tracks 
with their garden-like effects, and the attract- 
ive rural homes with their red roofs and color- 
touched fronts, made a sweet and most rest- 
ful ensemble. Not an inharmonious note 
anywhere. Absolute cleanliness. No dilap- 
idated fences, not even a scrap of paper to 
mar the perfect picture. j^^^ ^o^/i. 

We are in la belle ville de Paris, le Paradis 
des femmes, home of the fine arts. Paris of 
ever-pleasant memories where one finds in its 
life a peculiar grace, fascinating ease and vi- 
vacity, for r esprit de societe is the special gift 
of the French. 

This is our second visit to Paris. Our 
first visit, made several years ago, was limited 
to a fortnight. This time we hope to stay 
longer. I should like to remain several 
months, for there is too much of interest here 
to see in hurried fashion. 

Descending to the court this morning, 
after a comfortable breakfast in our room, 
we yielded to the persuasions of the porter 
and took a victoria for a drive to the Bois. 
We found the Paris cocher no less interesting 
than on our former visit. 

Speaking of cochers, what a variety one 
finds here in Paris. There is the cocher who 

68 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

is conspicuous in high, white glazed hat, with 
a red or yellow band on it. The collar and 
cuffs of his dark blue coat match the band of 
his hat, and his victoria, or cab, is invariably 
lined with material of the color of his coat. 
Other cochers wear black glazed hats and 
others again straw hats. If you are wise you 
will call the white-hatted cocher because he is 
always better dressed, and his vehicle is in 
keeping with his appearance. Then, too, his 
vehicle is better springed than are the major- 
ity, which is another consideration. With 
them all a generous smile means a generous 
tip ; so it is well to smile according to your de- 
sire, or ability to be generous. 

After resting and adjusting our belongings 
to our room, we drove through the Place de 
la Concorde, which is close by the Continental 
where we are staying. It is the most beauti- 
ful and extensive place in Paris, and one of 
the finest in the world. From the center of 
the square a view is obtained of the Made- 
leine, the Palais de la Chambre des Deputies, 
the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. 

Here, in 1792, the guillotine began its 
bloody work, and here were executed Louis 
XVI., Charlotte Corday, Marie Antoinette, 
Robespierre and many others of distinction 

69 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

whose names are associated with that un- 
happy era. 

The Place de la Concorde Is bounded by 
the Seine, the Champs Elysees, and by the 
Garden of the Tulleries. Lighted at night, 
with Its twenty bronze rostral columns on the 
surrounding balustrade, its graceful statues 
and exquisite flower effects are brought into 
strong relief, and the whole Is indescribably 
beautiful. 

The Jardin des Tulleries is the most popu- 
lar promenade In Parls^ and the especial para- 
dise of nursemaids and children. Here, In 
the late afternoon, one sees a long line of 
huge wagons filled with vegetables, present- 
ing a picturesque market scene. They have 
come from the country, for miles around. In 
order to supply the early demand of the 
hotels and cafes. They are filled with vege- 
tables of many kinds. One would suppose 
that they were arranged for the artist's brush 
as the ensemble is highly effective. The 
main body of the vegetables Is girdled around 
with huge bunches of carrots and radishes, 
the green leaves falling gracefully over the 
sides of the great clean wagon. 

Paris is the cradle of the culinary art. All 
night, and almost everywhere, the pavements 

70 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

are filled with tables and chairs and people, 
singly and in groups, idling hours away with 
refreshments, liquid and otherwise, peculiar to 
the French palate. Wherever the traveler 
may take up his abode, he may depend upon 
a good restaurant in the vicinity. 

The Cafe de Paris and Maxim's are among 
the most popular of the restaurants of Paris. 
Long tables are attractively arranged, and 
from a tropically lighted stage or gallery, 
comes an orchestral accompaniment of music 
to the chatter of guests. 

To eat, drink and be merry seems the life 
of the Parisians. The most alluring of the 
French restaurants are in the Champs Ely- 
sees. Here many of the restaurants are lo- 
cated on terraces, where the woody lanes 
leading to the cafes are festooned and bow- 
ered with gaily-colored lights. 

At tables you are surrounded by beautiful 
women exquisitely gowned, and plain women 
pleasing to look upon, and tawdry women. 
Chacun a son gout! 

You are scarcely seated at table, when a 
waiter places before you hors d'oeuvres which 
are everywhere served on the Continent, and 
other foreign countries, before dinner is 
served. The hors d'oeuvres usually con- 

7} 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

sist of prawns, sardines, deviled eggs and 
like edibles as an appetizer. 

You pay for everything you are served 
with, and this includes also the table-cloth 
and napkin, for which payment also is ex- 
acted, nor must you forget the waiter's pour- 
boire which is a legitimate charge. 

A favorite place with us for dinner is the 
Quartier Latin, where one may come at any 
time between the hours of six and eight 
o'clock, and enjoy a good dinner at from one 
to five francs (including a bottle of wine) as 
expeditiously, or as leisurely, as one pleases, 
and where. In most instances, payment is 
made at the door on entering. The cuisine 
is sometimes little Inferior to that of the best 
restaurants. Here, also, one enjoys seeing 
something of the student life. Some of 
their homes are dark and dingy, their clothes 
shabby. Many of them wear their hair quite 
long, their coats and trousers quite short. 
Low-brimmed black felt hats, which one in- 
stinctively associates with artists, cover their 
heads. Many of the men have short beards, 
narrow and scraggy. Their general appear- 
ance is such as to attract one's attention aside 
from the interest they possess as students of 
art. 

72 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

But to return to our afternoon drive. We 
had just entered the Champs Elysees, when 
we saw in the distance a great crowd of peo- 
ple. I said to the cocher, " Qu'y a-t-il?" 
He replied with a motion of his whip to the 
left, " Santos Dumont! " As we approached 
the Arc de Triomphe, we found ourselves 
hemmed in on all sides by vehicles. The 
scene was an animated one. Every driver 
stood in his carriage with whip upright in his 
right hand. Every carriage was filled with 
beautiful and perfectly gowned women. 
'Tis true that Paris is renowned for her beau- 
tiful women. And 'tis equally true that the 
brush of the painter, and the touch of the 
swansdown puff can work wonders with the 
plainest face, and so it is that the women of 
Paris are made beautiful. And their lips! 
Were rubies ever redder? But let us not be 
too critical of their beauty, whether natural 
or otherwise, for they were very pretty to 
look at. 

Many of the men looked as if they, also, 
had recourse to the " paint-pot," and evi- 
dences of the powder-puff on their faces were 
not wanting. I should dislike to believe that 
these painted dandies are representative 
Parisians, for I don't think they are. But 

73 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the fact that among the men of Paris are 
many who descend to such foppishness was, 
in itself, an unpleasant revelation. 

Suddenly a great shout was heard, and 
Santos Dumont and his air-ship arose. They 
had scarcely cleared the tops of the carriages, 
and the guy-ropes were still trailing over the 
heads of the people, when the ship slowly 
descended to the ground. Cocher explained 
that this was caused by a slight derangement 
of the machinery. Whatever the cause it 
was soon remedied, and a few minutes later 
the ship arose almost vertically, with Santos 
Dumont standing in the stern, his hand on the 
steering gear. The proper height having 
been reached, he sent the ship forward with 
a quick movement of the wheel, and in less 
time than it takes to describe it, it was sail- 
ing majestically over the tree-tops to the 
east, with all the grace and swiftness of a 
monster bird. The hand-clapping and the 
cheers of the great crowd followed Santos 
Dumont for some moments, he, hat in hand, 
smiling and bowing his acknowledgment of 
it. It was the first time we had witnessed 
the flight of an air-ship, and the experience 
was the more delightful because of the pleas- 
ant circumstances connected with it. 

74 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

With the disappearance of Santos Dumont, 
the vast crowd gradually disappeared, each 
team starting in its chosen direction. Many 
were soon lost among the wooded roads. In 
the allees men and women strolled, giving to 
the scene the appearance of a grand garden 
fete. On we drove until we came to the end 
of the Bois, where we encountered an army 
of people. At that point the road is quite 
wide. There were four lines of victorias. 
Two lines were going in one direction, and 
two in the opposite direction, giving the effect 
of a dress review. The horses walked, en- 
abling friends, in passing, to say a few words, 
and leaving some words to be understood, as 
they drove by and beyond one another. 

A little later, the moon was shining 
brightly from a star-lit sky, touching the tree- 
tops with silver, and throwing a halo of en- 
chantment over the scene. 

June 21 St. 
Sunday. We attended services this morn- 
ing at the Russian Church. We found it 
a unique structure. It is surmounted by five 
gilded domes. As you pass from the street 
you have the feeling that you are entering a 
stately reception hall. It is a large square 

75 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN' 

room. Its walls are hung with choice paint- 
ings. A beautiful rug covers the floor, with 
just a few chairs here and there, for you are 
supposed to stand during the services. The 
chancel is superb with its gilded traceries of 
gold, and jeweled " ikons." It is all so 
chaste and exquisite, and the Gregorian mu- 
sic so superbly sung, that you are loth to 
leave. But leave you must, as the church is 
closed, and the doors are locked immediately 
at the conclusion of the services. 

In the afternoon we drove about the city. 
Shortly after leaving the hotel, we were at- 
tracted by what appeared to be a funeral cor- 
tege, and so it proved. Cocher drove hur- 
riedly, in order that he might place us at a 
convenient point to see it. We arrived as 
the cortege was leaving the Madeleine. The 
coffin was covered with artificial floral de- 
signs ; the top of the hearse was similarly cov- 
ered. The driver wore a continental shaped 
hat of black cloth edged with silver, and with 
silver cords with tassels hanging from the 
sides. From his shoulders fell also long sil- 
ver cords with tassels. The horses were ca- 
parisoned with black cloth, heavily bordered 
with black fringe, which hung to their feet. 
Following the hearse were perhaps forty men 

76 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

in dress suits, carrying their hats in their 
hands. Behind the men were almost as 
many women, all in black and afoot. When 
the cortege was some distance away we en- 
tered the church. 

The Madeleine is built in the style of a late 
adaptation of a Greek temple. It stands on 
a basement twenty-three feet in height, and 
is surrounded by an imposing colonnade of 
massive Corinthian columns. The building 
is destitute of windows, and is constructed 
exclusively of stone. The niches in the col- 
onnade contain statues of saints — thirty-four 
in number. The church is lighted with 
heavy chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, 
and the only ventilation comes from the open 
doors through which one enters. 

In France, as in other European countries, 
the display attending one's funeral depends 
upon the length of one's purse. Manifestly 
the person over whose body services had just 
been held was some one of distinction, or of 
wealth, for the interior of the edifice was 
heavily draped in black from ceiling to floor. 
Here again the Instinct for art, which is so 
characteristically French, came out strongly. 
It brought out the impression of solemnity 
with startling, but sombre effect, and this was 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

heightened by the sweet but solemn music of 
the choir. 

Seeing this funeral reminds me of one that 
we saw In Brussels on a previous visit to 
Europe. We were strolling through the 
streets, and chanced upon a funeral quite in 
contrast with that to which I have briefly 
referred. It consisted of a plain wagon, in 
which rested an ordinary pine box or coffin, 
containing the remains of the deceased. Fol- 
lowing the wagon were two bent and poorly 
clad laborers carrying their hats In their 
hands. And yet, as they went on and on, 
slowly, so slowly, there were none too proud 
to tip their hats In reverence as they passed. 
Indeed! I saw several people, as the modest 
cortege wended its way, on bended knees, hat 
in hand. 

June 22nd. 

The stores in Paris were our objects of in- 
terest to-day. We spent the evening sitting 
In the court of the hotel, as there one always 
finds much to amuse and Interest one. 

June 22rd. 
This morning we decided to visit some of 
the better known coutourieres. We found 
one on the Rue de Rivoli. It was an Impos- 

78 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

ing brown stone house. We mounted the 
steps, and touched the bell. Open flew the 
door, and at the head of the long flight of 
stairs stood two handsome women wearing 
black silk gowns that accentuated their per- 
fect forms. At first we thought them man- 
nequins placed there as signs of the latest 
styles. But no ! as we approached them 
their eyes moved, and their voices assured us 
that they were living beings as they politely 
ushered us Into a room close by. I asked to 
be shown coats, whereupon they vanished as 
If by maglq, and instantly In rolled, as I sup- 
posed, two automatic figures on rollers, so 
easily did they glide along. They wore the 
garments I had inquired about, but they were 
not what I wanted. When I so Informed 
them, out they glided sans un mot. As the 
prospect of a sale vanished, so also did their 
politeness. This had been a not Infrequent 
experience at such places. The attendants 
are polite and courteous so long as the pros- 
pect exists of a sale. If for any reason 
whatsoever there be no sale, one's expressions 
of regret are met with a look of cold indiffer- 
ence, and one's parting au revoir falls on deaf 
ears. 

In the afternoon we went to the Chamber 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

of Deputies, known as the Palais du Corps 
Legislatif. It is built in the style of a Greek 
temple, with a Corinthian colonnade of 
twelve columns. When the Chamber, 
which corresponds to our House of Repre- 
sentatives, is sitting, visitors are admitted, 
but only to the Salle des Seances, or Assembly 
Hall, for which a card is required. We 
went early in order to get desirable seats in 
the gallery. After waiting some time, we 
suddenly heard a noise outside the hall; then 
followed the blowing of horns, and in filed 
the members to their seats. Soon the entire 
body of men were in a state of confusion, for 
the business before the Chamber was the 
Separation Bill, which is the name given to 
the measure to withdraw from the church the 
support of the state. The scene was not un- 
like that which we Washingtonians are fa- 
miliar with at the Capitol when our Congress 
Is in session. From the tenor of the remarks 
it appeared that the bill was a Government 
measure, and that the majority of those tak- 
ing part in the discussion were favorable to 
its passage. The opposition made up in en- 
ergy and declamation what it lacked in num- 
bers, and, altogether, it was a pretty parlia- 
mentary fight that would have delighted the 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

hearts of our own statesmen. The French 
have their Bourke Cockrans, their Champ 
Clarks, their John Dalzell's, their Sereno 
Payne's and they were quite as noisy as their 
American confreres. It was obvious that the 
debate was on for an unlimited period, and 
that the end of the discussion was nowhere In 
sight. I have said that the scene reminded 
me of our House of Representatives; but the 
rules of the two bodies must differ radically, 
for In the French Chamber thd discussion had 
already run a month. The same bill In our 
House would, under our rules, have been 
passed with a half hour's debate If the major- 
ity had so desired; but in the French Cham- 
ber there Is apparently no way of cutting off 
debate. The loges In the gallery were filled 
with women who followed the discussion 
with an interest second only to that of the 
men on the floor. 

We dined to-night at the Le Doyen In the 
Bois. The dinner was good. A feature 
of many restaurants in Europe, unknown in 
our country, is the presentation of fans by the 
waiters to the ladles present; fans illustrating 
some feature of the place. 

June 24.th. 

We were guests to-night of Mr. Charles 
8i 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

A. Conant at dinner at the Princess Hotel, a 
delightfully dainty hostelry. 

June 2^th. 

I visited the Galleries of the Gobelin tapes- 
tries to-day. They were instituted by Louis 
XIV., and contain rare Flemish tapestries. 
This institute is open only two hours each 
week, in order to interrupt as little as possi- 
ble the artists at their arduous and delicate 
work. Not a sound is permitted, so that one 
must be content to look unutterable things, or 
be ejected. 

During our stay a group of children rushed 
playfully Into one of the galleries. They 
were no sooner In than they were out, fright- 
ened evidently by the stillness pervading the 
room. 

June 26th, 
We drove to-day past the Madeleine, to 
the Bastile, then to the Pantheon and the 
Garden of the Luxembourg. The last 
named Is the only remaining renaissance 
garden in Paris. It contains few lawns, and 
not many flowers. In the open space there 
are numerous sculptures. A military band 
plays three times a week, and attracts large 
crowds of Parisians of all degrees. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

June I'jth. 
The strenuous sight-seeing of weeks past, 
and the weeks of still more sight-seeing in 
store for us, necessitate a day of rest now and 
then, so to-day we have devoted to rest. 

June 2^th. 

We arose early this morning, for we are to 
drive to Versailles. Besides we want to 
enjoy the freshness of the early summer Sun- 
day morning. 

It was something of a shock, after leaving 
the beautiful Bois, to come across an aged 
couple, a man and a woman, hitched to a 
wagon filled with furniture. They were 
scantily clothed, and their appearance de- 
noted dire poverty. They were pulling their 
burden with difficulty, as was shown by the 
manner In which they bent their bodies to the 
task, and their tired faces reflected their ex- 
hausted condition. They were peasants of 
the lower order of peasantry, veritable hu- 
man beasts of burden. 

With all our national shortcomings — 
and Heaven knows we have many — one will 
see no such sight as this on an American high- 
way. Our American women have their 
troubles, as have the men ; but they are never 

83 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

harnessed to plows or wagons as Is so often 
the case in Europe. In our consideration 
for women we lead the world, and in my phi- 
losophy^ the country that treats its women 
best, is the country that stands in the van of 
civilization. 

On we went to Versailles, passing through 
beautiful St. Cloud and Sevres. Wishing to 
enjoy everything en route, we drove slowly 
until we reached the park of Versailles, which 
is indebted to Louis XIV. for Its origin. It 
Is said that not fewer than thirty-six hundred 
men, and six thousand horses, were employed 
at one time In forming the terraces of the 
garden, leveling the park, and constructing 
a road connecting It with Paris. A more 
artificial style can hardly be conceived. The 
grounds are Interesting on account of their 
quaint, solemn, old-fashioned appearance, 
which harmonizes admirably with the heavy 
and formal architecture of the Palace, and is 
In perfect keeping with the notions of art that 
prevailed In the time of Louis XIV. The 
grounds are adorned with statues and vases. 
Some of these are copies, and others are 
originals of the 17th and i8th centuries. 

The most Imposing side of the Palace is 
that which faces the gardens. Ascending a 

84 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

very long, wide flight of stone steps, you en- 
ter the Palace where you are immediately be- 
sieged by guides wishing to show you. In the 
least possible time (for a consideration, of 
course), the important galleries and rooms. 
The building dates from several different pe- 
riods. The central part Is the original Cha- 
teau of Louis XIV. Additions were added 
under Louis XIV., and other additions under 
Louis XV. To-day It presents substantially 
the same appearance as at the close of the 
reign of Louis XIV. 

The Gallerie des Tombeaux contains the 
remarkable Tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella 
of Castile, Charles the Bold and Mary of 
Burgundy. 

The Salles des Crolsades Is noted for Its 
sumptuous decorations and magnificent mod- 
ern pictures. 

The Salon de la Guerre, so called from Its 
allegorical ceiling-paintings by Le Brun, In 
the cupola, represents France hurling thun- 
der-bolts, and carrying a shield with a por- 
trait of Louis XIV., and in the spandrels, Bel- 
lona, Spain, Germany and Holland cowering 
In terror. Over the fire-place is a huge relief 
of Louis XIV. These, with the wonderful 
Gallerie des Batailles, are but few of the 

85 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

great galleries of the Palace, each crowded 
with its works of renown. 

Among the principal bed-rooms are those 
of Marie Theresa, Marie Lescinska and 
Marie Antoinette. 

The Grand Trianon, three quarters of a 
mile from the Palace, a handsome villa of 
one story, was erected by Louis XIV. for 
Madame de Maintenon. 

The Petit Trianon near by, erected by 
Louis XV., was the rural home of Marie 
Antoinette. The Jardin du Petit Trianon is 
laid out in the English style, and contains 
some fine exotic trees, a temple of love, and 
a hamlet of nine or ten cottages, where the 
court-ladies played at peasant life. 

Here I am reminded of an afternoon, not 
very long ago, when I was visiting some 
friends. The conversation turned to travels. 
I spoke with enthusiasm of Europe. One of 
the ladies asked, '' What is there to see In 
Europe?" In a few minutes I was breath- 
lessly relating a few of my impressions. 
When I had finished she replied, " I don't 
wonder that you love to go to Europe." 

We luncheoned at the Hotel des Reser- 
voirs, once the home of Pompadour, and as- 
sociated also with the joyous youthful life of 

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FROM CAPJTOL TO KREMLIN 

Marie Antoinette, who little dreamed of the 
tragedy In store for her; that the concler- 
gerle would claim her among the doomed, 
and that her body would be thrown Into a 
common grave In the cemetery of La Made- 
leine. 

The service of the luncheon was unex- 
celled. The china was unusually beautiful. 
The fruits were served on plates of rare 
china, and the Ices In shell-like glasses with 
gold spoons. Truly a rare serving for a res- 
taurant. 

It was Louis XIV. who transformed Ver- 
sailles from a hunting forest, more than two 
hundred years ago, to a splendid palace and 
forest, the latter the greatest In the world. 
A vista from the front steps of the Palace 
shows a range of thirty miles of groves, 
lawns and fountains. 

Luncheon over we returned to Paris, the 
Queen city of Europe; Paris of gates and 
statues, basking In the sunlight of an Ideal 
June day. The governing authorities of 
France have wisely banished the factories 
and manufacturing establishments at a dis- 
tance from the city, so that the air Is never 
smoke-laden, or the beauty of Its parks and 
gardens marred by smoke. Let us hope that 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

our Washington authorities will profit by 
their example. 

We came back to the city in the early after- 
noon to attend a garden-fete at half past five 
at the palace of President and Madame Lou- 
bet, In the Champs Elysees. 

We arrived at the hour appointed. At 
the gate we presented our card of invitation. 
It passed through the hands of three straight, 
stiff, uniformed attendants. Before we 
moved on I said to the first attendant: 
" Voulez-vous avoir la bonte me donner la 
carte plus tard? J'al le desir le conserver 
comme un souvenir." With a polite bow he re- 
plied, " Avec beaucoup de plaisir, Madame." 
On leaving the grounds my card was handed 
to me, and we were rewarded also with a 
beaming smile and profound bow In return 
for a liberal " tip." 

But to go back to the fete. We were 
ushered with great ceremony into the draw- 
ing-room, only to find that President and 
Madame Loubet had gone into the garden, 
where the reception was continued. 

We found President and Madame Loubet 
standing on an exquisite pale green rug under 
wide spreading trees. All about stood and 
strolled Parisian society, and soldiers In unl- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

form, while two bands made music from op- 
posite ends of the garden, and dancers were 
everywhere on the velvety lawn. 

As we approached President and Madame 
Loubet, we stood awhile to study them. The 
President is of medium height, plain In ap- 
pearance, and with pleasing manners. Ma- 
dame Loubet is of the same height as the 
President, and with like manners. She was 
gowned In beautiful white lace, and wore a 
white bonnet to match. 

As there was no one to Introduce us I said 
to my husband, " I am going to speak to 
President and Madame Loubet In French." 
I did so and was delighted to receive from 
both a cordial hand-shake, gracious smiles 
and pretty compliments. In fact the Presi- 
dent's hand-shake was the most cordial I ever 
have received. With a firm grasp he shook 
my hand up and down like a pump-handle. 
He shook It so energetically that I was glad 
when he released it. 

I simply said, " Monsieur le President, 
comme une Amerlcalne, j'apprecle I'honneur 
de vous rencontrer." The fact that I was 
an American was the reason, I am quite cer- 
tain, that they received me so cordially. 
Neither President nor Madame Loubet speak 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

English; and this, doubtless, was also a pass- 
port to their favor. 

A unique and pretty feature of the fete 
was a chain of young men and women danc- 
ing from the drawing-room, out over the 
lawn, around and about the President and 
Madame Loubet. And this was our first 
glimpse of official society in Paris. 

June 2gth. 
Mrs. Meade and I went shopping. As 
we entered the first shop Mrs. Meade discov- 
ered that she had left her purse in the cab. 
We hurried to the street to find that the 
driver had disappeared. Thinking he might 
be driving about the vicinity, we waited for 
his return. After some delay, we discovered 
that we had neglected to take his cab num- 
ber. An American, passing, seeing us in a 
dilemma, politely asked If he could assist us. 
We gladly accepted his offer. We explained 
to him the absence of the driver with the 
purse. "Ah!" he said, "did you take his 
number?" "No!" we replied. Then he 
said, " I am afraid you have lost your purse. 
The driver's number would have been your 
protection." He kindly took us to a detect- 
ive bureau near by where he explained our 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

loss. There, too, we found that there was 
no redress because of our failure to take the 
driver's number. Fortunately I had my 
purse, and we drove back to the hotel sadder 
but wiser women. Just before we arrived at 
the hotel, we saw a pretty, living picture of 
which Paris is so full. It was that of two 
black-eyed women of the peasant class. Their 
black, curly hair was blowing about their 
heads, for they were bare-headed. They 
wore short skirts, gingham aprons and little 
checked woolen shawls about their shoulders. 
On their backs were strapped large wicker 
baskets from which roses like the American 
Beauty were standing upright, nodding in uni- 
son with their steps. The women were in 
a merry mood; it was a veritable living 
picture. 

To-day our sight-seeing was limited to the 
Palais de Justice, St. Chappelle and Notre 
Dame. 

The Palais de Justice occupies the site of 
the ancient Palace of the Kings of France, 
which was presented by Charles the seventh 
in 1 43 1 to the Parliament or Supreme Court 
of Justice. In 1618, and again in 1776, the 
Palace was injured by fire, so that little now 
remains except the Tour de I'Horloge, the 

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Tour de Caesar, the pinnacled Tour d' Argent 
and the kitchens of St. Louis. 

The clock in the Tour de I'Horloge is the 
oldest public clock in France. It was con- 
structed in 1370 by Henry de Vic, a German 
clock-maker. 

The St. Chappelle, or Holy Chapel of the 
King, was the ancient Palace-Chapel during 
the reign of St. Louis. It is a perfect gem 
of Gothic architecture. The only service 
now performed here is the mass of the Holy 
Ghost, celebrated on the re-opening of the 
courts after the autumn vacation. It was 
here, also, that Louis XIII., during his exile 
in prison adjoining the church, had a small, 
secret opening made in the side wall of the 
church, through which he would listen to the 
services. 

The Cathedral of Notre Dame is of 
Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Its 
massive columns, its solid brass chandeliers, 
Its bas-reliefs in color, its crypts and notable 
chancel of marble and brass, where Napoleon 
was crowned, make it an object of great in- 
terest, aside from its towers which survived 
the ravages of the Revolution, and its ancient 
consecration in 11 82. 

The fagade, the finest part of the Cathe- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

dral, dates from the beginning of the 13th 
century, and, the earliest of its kind, has 
served as a model of many other churches in 
France. 

June 2^th. 

In our drive about the city to-day, we de- 
cided to visit the Church of the Sorbonne, and 
we were well repaid for doing so. The 
church was built by Richelieu early in the sev- 
enteenth century. A conspicuous dome sur- 
mounts it. It contains the tomb of the Due 
de Richelieu, who distinguished himself in the 
Russian service, and as Minister under Louis 
XVIII. 

The tomb is an exquisite work of carving 
In marble. It represents the Cardinal in a 
semi-recumbent posture, supported by Reli- 
gion, while Science stands by in an attitude of 
grief. Directly over the tomb, and high 
above the heads of mankind, suspended by a 
chain, hangs the Cardinal's hat. And the 
dust on it ! One is disposed to dust the hat, 
but who dares ! 

So long as France is remembered, Riche- 
lieu, also, will be remembered. His work 
was all for the glory of France, and he per- 
formed it well. History tells us that he was 
both the accomplished courtier and master of 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

state-craft. Under his skillful leadership 
the power of the feudal lords was broken, 
and these haughty noblemen were brought to 
the support of the crown; the Protestant in- 
fluence was practicall)^ destroyed and France's 
powerful enemy, Austria, humbled. 

As I looked at his tomb to-day, with the 
remembrance of the debate in the Chamber 
of Deputies, on the Separation Bill, still fresh 
in my mind, I wondered what the great Car- 
dinal's thoughts must be, if, in another life, 
he knew of the effort to destroy the church's 
power. In his day church and state were 
one and inseparable; yet to-day the popular 
branch of the government was discussing, and 
with every probability of success, the ques- 
tion of withdrawing its support from the 
church and leaving it without a vestige of 
state recognition. If the echoes of that dis- 
cussion could have reached his ears his re- 
mains must have turned in their coffin — that 
is, if there were any remains left to turn ! * 

July 1st. 
In Paris one finds much to stimulate the 
brain. To-day we spent some time at the 
Tomb of Napoleon I., which is situated be- 

* The bill has since become law. 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

neath the Dome des Invalides in an open 
crypt. Properly to appreciate It, one should 
see it by sunlight, as then the color blue, which 
predominates, is given a peculiarly soft touch. 
The fleur-de-lis in gilt is the decorative 
scheme. The mosaic pavement represents a 
wreath of laurel, and is inscribed with the 
names of battles including Austerlitz, Fried- 
land, Marengo, Wagram and Moscow. 

The sarcophagus consists of a huge block 
of reddish-brown granite, weighing many 
tons, and was brought from Finland. With- 
in the tomb are also sixty flags captured in 
battle by Napoleon. 

The faint bluish light admitted from 
above, and the sombre appearance of the 
crypt and its surroundings, greatly enhance 
the grandeur of the scene. 

In the evening we were guests of Mr. and 
Mrs. Hugh H. Hanna at Hotel de RItz, the 
most exclusive hotel of Paris. It was a large 
dinner party, given in the court, where the 
vari-colored lights, plants and blooming flow- 
ers made a beautiful setting for the guests. 

July 2nd. 
The Musee de Sevigne claimed a great 
part of the day. Madame de Sevigne, noted 

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for her beauty, wit and wealth, was the wife 
of a nobleman of Brittany. She was a 
French woman with none of the vices of the 
frivolous French women, a leader of society, 
yet a prodigy of domestic affections, a lover 
of the fields, a great writer, in short, a woman 
who won the admiration of every great man 
who appreciated wit and honored virtue. 
She was of a coterie of celebrities including 
Richelieu, known as her *' dear Cardinal," 
Horace Walpole, who made an idol of her 
because of her brilliancy, and LaRochefou- 
cauld. 

On the Musee walls are scenes, each with 
a history attached, and trophies of the Revo- 
lution. The dining-room is intact as she left 
it. It is a small room. Its walls are covered 
with priceless Sevres. The cabinets, with 
their rare curios, are the envy of the curio- 
connoisseur. In the gallery hangs a life-like 
mask of Voltaire. The waxen hue of the 
face, with its Bergerac-like nose, and its hair 
of dull brown color, make it strikingly real- 
istic. Near the mask stands a chair that was 
used by Voltaire as his writing-desk and chair 
combined. It has a deep seat, broad back 
and also a very broad arm-rest which he used 
for writing purposes. The seat is much 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

worn, showing here and there the horsehair 
with which It Is cushioned. 

July 3r^. 

If you desire to be separated from your 
small change, you have but to go to the an- 
cient Musee de Cluny. It was constructed 
in 1492, about the time that Queen Isa- 
bella was preparing to sell her jewels 
to give Columbus the money with 
which to complete his sailing craft, and his 
efforts which led to the discovery of America. 
It was the basement of Cluny, the Benedic- 
tine monks used in manufacturing benedic- 
tine. The sister of Henry the VIII. lived 
there for several years. She is said to have 
left England to avoid going Into mourning 
for all of Henry's wives. The Musee com- 
prises a valuable collection of medieval ob- 
jects of art and industry. There are about 
eleven hundred objects of art in the Musee, 
so that a single visit scarcely affords an Idea 
of even the most Important. 

July ^th. 

" The day we celebrate ! " And we did cele- 
brate it by going first to the Louvre in the 
morning. The Louvre and the Tuileries 
together cover an area of forty-eight acres, 
forming one of the most magnificent palaces 

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in the world. The rooms of the Louvre are 
connected with one another, and are so nu- 
merous, that it takes two hours to walk 
through them without stopping. With its 
paintings, tapestries, gems and objects of art, 
the bronzes of Renaissance of the i6th cen- 
tury, its original statues of the 5th century, 
the task is an almost endless one to specify. 
Here French, Flemish, Italian, Spanish and 
Dutch art are magnificently presented. All 
statues in the Louvre are original, except the 
bronze, and were brought from the museum 
of Rome by Napoleon as relics of his pillage. 

Some of the objects I recall are busts of 
Socrates, Demosthenes and Diogenes, the 
marriage-room of Henry of Navarre, where 
Moliere played to King Henry and Catha- 
rine ; paintings representing the coronation of 
Napoleon, and Napoleon crowning Josephine 
in 1804; the crowns of Napoleon and Char- 
lemagne, the original diamond, called the re- 
gent of France, valued at twelve million 
francs, and exquisite crystals and china. 

Among the masters represented in the 
room where Napoleon married Louise, are 
Raffael, Troyan, Murillo, Coreggio, Rem- 
brandt, Rubens, Van Dyck and Claude Lo- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

rain. The last named Is said to be the first 
painter who painted the sun In the heavens. 

With your neck continually on the stretch, 
and constantly fearing to fall as you glide 
over the highly polished floors, you are glad 
to get back to your room for rest. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hanna invited the entire 
party to celebrate the Fourth with them later 
In the afternoon, and a delightful affair it 
proved to be. Our host and hostess had 
gaily decorated their parlor with the Ameri- 
can colors. A table at one end was bounti- 
fully filled with Parisian dainties. We had 
songs and recitations, and the spirit of the 
occasion was Intensely patriotic. In the 
evening the men attended a dinner given by 
the American Chamber of Commerce, some 
of whom left in time to take a party of ladies 
to the Jardin des Paris, where an open air vau- 
deville, essentially French In character, was 
the attraction. It was quite late when we 
returned to the hotel, and the " glorious 
Fourth " had passed into history before we 
sought our couch. 

July ^th. 

It Is Sunday, a gala day In Europe, espe- 
cially In Paris. The people spend the time 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

in the open air, and after a manner peculiarly 
European. We spent it in driving and visit- 
ing the parks of Paris. To get nearest the 
pleasures of the people, we strolled through 
the garden of the Luxembourg, where bands 
played, people sat at their ease and chatted, 
and sweethearts strolled arm in arm looking 
soft nothings at one another. 

We saw a pretty little woman daintily 
dressed sitting alone, with a look of perplex- 
ity on her face. Suddenly she raised her 
skirt, and adjusted her garter. Then she 
dropped her skirt and lapsed into a medita- 
tive mood again. 

July 6th. 

We visited the Church of St. Etienne to 
see the beautifully wrought tomb of St. Eti- 
enne, the patron saint of Paris, after which 
we went to St. Germain des pres, one of the 
oldest and most interesting churches of Paris, 
founded in the sixth century. 

We drove through the Latin Quarter, and 
stopped at a restaurant for dinner. And 
there we had, again, an opportunity to see 
more of the student life. On this occasion 
the type we saw was of slender physique ; his 
hair bushy, his chin boasting a short and thin 
whisker. A fierce and upward curling mous- 

100 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

tache crowned his lip. His trousers were far 
from being a la mode, and stopped at his 
shoe-tops. A very short coat, colored 
shirt and black tie completed his modest 
attire. His serious face does not surprise 
you when later you stroll through the narrow 
streets where he lives and are brought face to 
face with the sordid and cheerless character 
of his surroundings. 

July "jth. 

Mrs. Meade and I drove to L'Eglise du 
Sacre Coeur, an imposing edifice in the Ro- 
manesque style that crowns the summit of 
Butte Montmartre, a hill famous in the an- 
nals of Paris. According to tradition, St. 
Denis, the first bishop of Paris, and his com- 
panions suffered martyrdom here in 270. 

The church is reached by a long detour, or 
flight of steps. It possesses the largest bell 
in France, known as the Savoyard. It 
weighs more than thirty-two tons. 

On our return drive to the city, cocher 
called our attention to a wedding that was 
taking place in a church that we were just 
then passing. We appreciated his kindly in- 
terest and entered the church. 

One cannot conceive a prettier wedding 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

scene than that of a high-noon wedding in a 
French Cathedral. The chancel was deco- 
rated with tall waving palms. The Cathe- 
dral was filled with guests. We arrived too 
late to witness the beginning. As we en- 
tered, a notably fine baritone voice was heard 
in solo. The bride and groom sat before a 
crimson prie-Dieu; the brides-maids and 
groomsmen standing about them. To the 
right sat the parents of the bride and groom. 
The organ pealed forth a signal, and imme- 
diately the bride and groom and their parents 
were surrounded by the bridal attendants, who 
served refreshments, at the same time danc- 
ing around the wedding party. That fin- 
ished, the brides-maids and groomsmen 
formed a line, and marched down each aisle 
accompanied by children carrying little bas- 
kets for offerings. The groomsmen held 
the left hand of the brides-maids gracefully 
aloft. In the right hand of the brides-maids 
was carried a pretty basket tied with ribbon 
corresponding to the colors of her hat and 
sash. These baskets were passed to each 
guest and the sums of money contributed to 
charity; the little girls in turn passing their 
baskets for a donation which was added to 
that of the brides-maids. This finished, the 

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attendants met In the rear of the Cathedral, 
and marched up the aisle to the chancel, 
where they again joined the bride and groom, 
who preceded, with great ceremony, the at- 
tendants. All ascended the chancel, fol- 
lowed by the guests. In a rose-embowered 
room to the rear, the bride and groom re- 
ceived the congratulations of their friends, 
and there we left them. 

July Sth. 

We rose early and took an eight o'clock 
train for the Hague. The trip en route was 
a succession of beauty and interest. Ap- 
proaching Brussels, and while I was enjoying 
the landscape, I suddenly saw a giant woman, 
apparently seventy years old, walking in one 
of the picturesque allees so often seen In 
Europe. She was big and brawny, wearing 
a white cap ruffled about her deeply furrowed 
face, and falling over her shoulders. Her 
woolen skirt just reached her knees. Her 
legs were bare. She wore wooden shoes, 
and over her shoulder was resting a rake. 
She strode with the steps of a Hercules. She 
was evidently a tiller of the soil. 

Another scene strikingly unique was that 
of a woman doing the work of two horses. 
She was pulling a canal boat. The boat was 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

quite large, and the strength necessary to pro- 
pel it was evidenced by her vigorous efforts 
as she swayed back and forth. She wore 
nothing on her head. Her hair was blowing 
about her face. Beside her, and clutching its 
mother's hand as if to make the pull the 
lighter, was a little bare-headed child about 
eight years old. It too was pulling with 
might and main, as its little body bent for- 
ward and backward to keep pace with its 
mother. 

From Brussels to the Hague, the scenery 
changes constantly. The little French homes 
seem made for play-houses. They are small, 
with touches of color, and built for artistic 
effect as well as for living purposes. As 
from Dover to Paris, so from Paris to the 
Hague, there are many fields of wheat dotted 
and bordered with scarlet poppies, an en- 
chanting study in scarlet and yellow. This 
flower is to France what the daisy is to Amer- 
ica. 

A charm of travel through England and 
the Continent, is the absence of piles of sticks 
and stones, scraps of paper, or tin cans to mar 
the harmony of the perfectly kept homes and 
their surroundings. 

Speaking of Brussels recalls an amusing 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

incident that occurred when we were there 
several years ago. 

We were driving to the Exposition. En 
route, we passed a carriage so handsome in 
its appointments that I asked the driver 
whose carriage it was. He replied, " King 
Leopold's." That gave it an added interest. 
The carriage was very large, gracefully 
curved, and lined with bright-colored bro- 
cade. It was drawn by four horses. On 
one of them sat the driver. There were two 
outriders and two footmen. 

Later, as we were leaving the Exposition, 
I said to my husband, '' There is the King's 
carriage; let us wait to see the King." As 
we never had seen a real King before, we 
stood close by the door through which he was 
certain to leave. His carriage also was 
close by. We did not have long to wait. In 
the meantime a great crowd had assembled. 
A footman stood at the door to assist the 
King, who came out soon and smilingly ac- 
knowledged the ovation that the people cor- 
dially gave him. He wore gray trousers, the 
conventional frock coat, and military cap. 
He is above the medium in height, and his 
shoulders droop a great deal. He wears a 
long beard and lacked the appearance that 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

I had always associated with Kings. His 
face and manner betokened a genial nature. 
In a few minutes he was seated and rapidly 
driven out and beyond the grounds of the 
Exposition. 

The amusing incident to which I 
have referred was this; and it served to 
illustrate the different way in which things 
are done here and on our side of the 
water. A wide, smooth driveway ran 
from the main Exposition building to 
the edge of the grounds. It was de- 
signed to keep the drive-way free of foot 
passengers until the Kings's departure. This 
work was assigned to a single man, a gen- 
darme, dressed in the uniform of the muni- 
cipal police, and carrying in his hand a light 
stick. While awaiting the King's appear- 
ance, it frequently happened that a man or 
woman would attempt to cross the drive-way 
to the open space beyond, hoping that the ^ 
gendarme would overlook their indiscretion. , 
But the gendarme was there to carry out his 
instructions, and in each case the trespasser 
was admonished with a polite " s'il vous 
plait, monsieur," (or madame) to return to 
his original position. After several attempts 
of this nature had failed, it was reserved for 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

a woman (an unmistakably English woman) 
to ignore the guard's order. He called to 
her several times before she heeded his 
warning. Then, as she turned partly in his 
direction, he said with a degree of sternness 
that he had not used before, " S'il vous plait, 
madame," at the same time indicating with 
his stick that she was to resume her place in 
the crowd. Instead, she squared her shoul- 
ders and defiantly resumed her progress down 
the road. Again he called, "Madame!" 
There was no response. "Madame!" he 
repeated, but Madame was apparently deaf 
to his words. By this time the interest of 
the twenty or thirty thousand spectators was 
intense. I fully expected to see her arrested 
and possibly subjected to personal violence. 
Nothing of the kind occurred, and this is 
where they do things so differently over 
here. On the contrary, the little guard did 
not move from his position, nor did he speak 
In louder tones than were necessary to reach 
her ears. He still continued to call, at brief 
Intervals, " Madame ! " " Madame ! " At 
last even her assurance failed (perhaps the 
knowledge that so many persons were wait- 
ing for the denouement had its effect upon 
her) and she quietly stepped aside and, a 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

moment later, was swallowed up In the ocean 
of humanity about her. As she disappeared 
a great sigh of relief arose from the onlook- 
ers. The guard waited a few seconds for 
her reappearance. When he saw that she 
purposed to remain Invisible, the very ghost 
of a smile Illumined his countenance — a faint 
smile of triumph over a stubborn foe. 
Then, to the astonishment and great amuse- 
ment of the English and Americans present, 
he ejaculated the single word " Damn! " It 
was probably the only English he knew; but 
It evidently relieved his feelings, for after 
that his face resumed Its wonted serenity 
again. 

July 1 1 th. 

We have arrived at The Hague. It was 
originally a hunting resort of the Counts of 
Holland. It Is now the residence of the 
Queen of Holland, and the seat of govern- 
ment. It Is a city of profound silence. Even 
the dogs, the tollers of Holland, are not 
heard to growl, as one would think It their 
privilege. Their exhaustion Is borne In si- 
lence ; but the plaintive look In their eyes tell 
their story. 

The Hague Is half Dutch and half French. 
It Is in the country of dykes, wind-mills, 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

storks, wooden shoes and queer feminine 
head-gear. 

Here one finds a Gallery of great Interest, 
consisting of a collection made by the Princes 
of Orange. Rembrandt and Potter are the 
heroes of the collection. Rembrandt of por- 
trait fame, of golden tones, " and tones 
brown to dimness." Paul Potter's far-famed 
bull Is the piece de resistance of the collec- 
tion, and Is remarkable as one of the few ani- 
mal pieces that the master painted on so large 
a scale. It Is so hung, and so full of life and 
spirit that when you come upon It suddenly 
you are impressed with the belief for the mo- 
ment, that the bull is charging directly at you. 

Other artists represented are Ruysdael, 
Van der Velde and Philip Woverman, famed 
for his white horse and battle scenes. 

The streets of The Hague are wide and 
straight. In the residential section the 
houses are a delicate cream color, and uni- 
form In height, with very large shutterless 
windows. No shops are to be found, no 
placards, and the silence Is broken only by the 
passing of a stately carriage, with Its stately 
steed, and dignified occupants. The drivers 
and lackeys are stiffness unequaled. 

The most interesting drive of The Hague 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

IS Its forest, close by the city. There, the 
trees are of a Nile green shade, so similar in 
color that they seem as if touched with a 
painter's brush. At sunset the effect Is pe- 
culiarly beautiful. You seem to be driving 
through a Nile green haze. 

The forest is dotted with chalets and 
kiosks, and the Dutch people with their 
quaint dress make a pleasing picture. 

The Palace, or House in the Woods, as It 
Is familiarly called at The Hague, is occupied 
by the Queen, and is its greatest attraction. 
The most notable room is the Octagon Room, 
its walls covered with paintings of celebrated 
artists of the Rubens school. Another room 
Is filled with gifts from the Emperor of 
Japan. Chiefest among them are the ex- 
quisite tapestries. 

The shops are peculiarly Interesting, espe- 
cially the exclusive shops. You ascend two 
or three steps of what seems to you to be the 
handsome home of a person of wealth. You 
ring the bell. A stolid looking man or 
woman opens the door. If it Is silver you 
wish to see, you are delayed until a key Is 
found. The case is opened, you are shown 
the desired articles, the attendant in the mean- 
time keeping one eye on you, and one eye on 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

his wares. Whether you purchase or not, 
the cases are again locked before you leave 
the shop. 

At another of the exclusive brIc-a-brac 
shops we rang the bell and were ushered Into 
what seemed to be a beautifully appointed 
parlor. Later we were conducted to the 
shop In the rear of the house, where Dutch, 
Flemish and French art were attractively 
displayed. 

The prison, an ancient tower also, Is of 
great Interest, with Its Instruments of torture 
used by the Spaniards In the 14th and 15th 
centuries. In 1672 Cornelius de Witt and 
his brother were falsely Imprisoned here, and 
literally torn to pieces. Torture In Its most 
barbaric form was practised within, and In 
front of the prison. 

Our stay was short at The Hague. We 
spent several hours at Scheveningen, which Is 
built upon sand-dunes. It is a clean fishing 
village, and one of the most frequented 
watering-places on the North Sea. Its prox- 
imity to The Hague gives it an advantage 
over other seaside resorts on this coast. It 
has several attractive hotels. Many of the 
best class of people occupy little houses 
quaintly picturesque and painted in the varl- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

ous colors so common in Holland, but princi- 
pally In red, blue and green. The poor 
folk live in little black cottages in nar- 
row lanes. Fishing is their trade. The 
fishermen's clothes are very picturesque. 
They wear tiny black felt hats with a band of 
red around the brim, and balloon-like trou- 
sers to their ankles, a bright colored shirt and 
a red necktie. At Schevenlngen one finds 
every type of the Holland woman, all more 
or less pleasing to look at. Apart from the 
women who wear the large ruffled caps and 
wooden shoes, are the women who wear their 
hair smooth and tight, covered with a silver 
or gold cap, and over that again a night-cap- 
like head-dress of lace, falling In a sort of 
veil over the neck and shoulders. From 
their temples dangle spiral ornaments in gold, 
silver, or gilt-copper. Some of them fall to 
the ears ; others to the neck. 

Other women again wear their hair banged 
on the forehead. The long hair is divided 
into two curls that fall over the ears, and on 
the head is worn a small cap minus frills. 
Each wears her cap and ornaments according 
to her Province. 

Schevenlngen Is one of the gayest resorts 
along the Northern coast, and is a popular re- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

sort with many distinguished English, Ger- 
man and Russian tourists. 

There are three bathing places, one for 
men, one for women and one where men and 
women bathe together in the French style. 

A feature of the bathing at this place, is its 
little pale green vans into which the women 
step in their promenade gowns and change 
their toilets for their bathing suits while the 
van is being pulled into the sea by a man who 
plays the part of a horse. 

Their bath finished, the women spring 
back into the van and emerge on the beach 
in their promenade toilets. 

After several hours spent at Scheveningen, 
we returned to The Hague, refreshed our- 
selves and enjoyed a drive about the environs, 
which are beautiful and interesting. The 
woods are dotted here and there with homes 
of strikingly quaint Dutch architecture. The 
original home of the Queen, which she occu- 
pied previously to the Palace in which she now 
lives, was peculiarly striking, as was the home 
of Cornelius de Witt and his brother, John 
de Witt. 

We drove through many delightful Dutch 
villages, stopping at the Velocipede Club for 
refreshments. Soon after we were seated, a 

113 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

carriage stopped, and from It alighted a lady, 
her child and maid. The latter, while the 
least important socially, was by far the most 
attractive In her peasant costume. She wore 
a dark blue skirt which reached to her knees ; 
a yellow silk apron which touched the bottom 
of her skirt, was edged with black lace. A 
pretty white waist, and a pale blue kerchief 
about her shoulders completed her dress. 
On her head was worn a white cap of huge 
proportions. It fitted closely and across the 
back was a stiff bow fully a half yard wide of 
the same material. Altogether a most fetch- 
ing costume and by far the most pleasing we 
have seen in Europe. 

Holland abounds in the picturesque. 
When at Marken several years ago, I saw a 
strikingly unique figure running through the 
streets. I asked what It was, because I had 
never seen Its like before. I was told that it 
was a death notlfier, a man going from 
house to house to notify friends of the death 
of one of their number. He was tall and 
slender. He wore tight, black cloth knee- 
breeches, long black stockings, low, silver- 
buckled shoes, a black coat with long pointed 
ends reaching to his shoe-tops, and on his 
head a " weeper," or continental-like hat with 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

a point which extended to the edges of his 
coat. He had the solemn dignity of a hu- 
man raven, and I was insensibly reminded of 
Poe's weird poem. 

Holland, whose defenders are her dykes, 
Is mistress of her waters. Should a foreign 
army invade her territory, she has but to open 
her dykes and rivers, as she did against the 
Romans, against the Spaniards and against 
Louis XIV., to overwhelm them with their 
inrushing tide. 

Over the whole country is an immense net- 
work of canals which serve for Irrigation as 
well as for communication. The cities by 
means of canals connect with the sea. Ca- 
nals run from town to town, and from vil- 
lage to village. Small canals surround fields 
and orchards. Every house is a little port. 
Ships, boats, rafts move about in all direc- 
tions as In other places do carts and carriages. 

The doors of the little homes stand wide 
open. No dirt, no disagreeable odors, or 
an outstretched hand to beg. Everywhere 
is an atmosphere of cleanliness and well-be- 
ing. We have not the like unto it in our own 
country. 

July 1 2th. 

We left The Hague at half past five this 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

evening for Berlin. After about three hours 
ride by train, we arrived at Amsterdam, 
where we changed cars for the German capi- 
tal. Our compartment had been reserved. 
We made ourselves comfortable, and enjoyed 
the travel until night-fall. 

Believing that the train carried a dining- 
car, when seven o'clock came we expected to 
be served with dinner. We rang the bell to 
inquire the way to the dining-car. The con- 
ductor, who answered our summons, was 
German. We asked him what time 
dinner would be served. He replied, 
"Bet-time." "When will it be Bet- 
time?" I queried. His answer was, "Din- 
ner-time." After several fruitless efforts to 
learn when it would be " bet-time " or " din- 
ner-time," we made a desperate effort to find 
someone who could speak, at least, a little 
more English, and discovered a German who 
spoke English well but who served us little. 
He informed us that there was no dining-car 
on the train. Cool comfort that. He said 
that at the next station where we should ar- 
rive, refreshments would be sent to us. It 
was then nine o'clock. We had arrived at 
the desired station. Our friend bade us 
good-by, again promising to see that we got 

ii6 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

something to eat. He did, but such a din- 
ner ! It consisted of one huge sandwich and 
one bottle of beer. That finished, we con- 
cluded to smother our ill-appeased hunger in 
sleep. Again the bell was rung. Again 
came forth the grunty conductor. We 
struggled and struggled in vain to make him 
understand that we would like to have our 
berths made up for the night. Our only an- 
swer was a shake of the head and he disap- 
peared. This signified that there would be 
no " bet-time " for us that night, so far as 
the making up of the berths was concerned, 
so with hunger, no sheets, no blankets, for 
the night was quite cool, and no pillows, we 
wrapped our storm-coats about us and laid 
down — to pleasant dreams ? — no ! but to be 
bounced as balls the entire night, as the train 
traveled fast, and the road seemed nothing 
but curves. 

July i^th. 

We arrived In Berlin this morning. Glad 
were we when peep of day came so that we 
could forget, if possible, our tumbling, toss- 
ing night. 

When we entered the station, the first 
thing that attracted my attention was the 
signs over the gates labeled, " ousgang," 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

" outgang," " uitgang," " eingang," direct- 
ing the outgoing and incoming people. 

Berlin is the home of the German Em- 
peror, and the seat of the Imperial govern- 
ment. It dates back to the 13th century. 
Almost every part of Berlin offers a pleasing 
picture. Its streets enjoy a model cleanli- 
ness. There are few dark lanes or alleys, 
even in the oldest part of the city. One sees 
no squalor here. Not a bare-footed child. 
Nothing to offend the eye. 

In the aristocratic Tiergarten quarter, 
which contains the largest and most attract- 
ive park near the town, there is a similarity 
of houses, in height and color, running in 
curved blocks. All have beautifully flowered 
balconies at most of their windows. Green, 
scarlet and pink prevail, covering, and hang- 
ing low from the balconies. The public 
squares are embellished with gardens, monu- 
ments and fountains. The city, architectur- 
ally and florally. Is beautiful. The Tiergar- 
ten, for driving, sitting or strolling, is a fa- 
mous park in the center of the city. Fringing 
the edges are many restaurants with bands of 
music. All the world knows the German 
love for music, and here in Berlin one liter- 
ally feasts upon It. The streets of the city 

118 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

are closed to cyclists, who must dismount 
even to cross them. 

On the busiest thoroughfares one finds a 
mounted guard in the center who sits his 
horse like a statue. Likewise at each cross- 
ing is a guard afoot. The German 
soldier is remarkably well-groomed. His 
clothes fit him well. Every attention seems 
given to the smallest detail of his dress. He 
is not always so polite as he should be, nor 
were some of the other people who were not 
soldiers. 

What was once a part of a forest is now 
the Unter den Linden, a parked avenue in 
the center of the city. It is filled with 
benches, and on them throughout the day wo- 
men with fast-flying fingers knit the time 
away. 

A noticeable street in Berlin is the Place 
des Sieges. For a distance of two blocks, on 
both sides of the street, are regular spaces of 
white marble statues of famous Prussians. 
Back of the statues, In their curved setting, 
are fine old trees giving the effect of a park 
of statuary. 

July i^th. 
Spent most of the day In the garden-court 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

of the hotel, enjoying the coming and going 
of people, and listening to the music. 

July i^th. 
What woman does not love to visit attract- 
ive stores? Here I found much courtesy in 
the stores when I was disposed to buy. If 
you have no idea of buying, I should advise 
you to look not upon the face of the sales- 
man or sales-woman, as you pass out of the 
store, unless you enjoy frowns. 

July iGth. 

To-day we enjoyed our first glimpse of so- 
cial life in Berlin. It was at the home of 
Mr. and Mrs. Dodge, the former Charge 
d'affairs of the American Embassy. The 
Germans were conspicuous by their absence. 
The only guests were Americans, the only 
German flavor being that of a punch pecul- 
iarly German, a punch of sour wine with a 
suspicion of fruit. The function was quite 
informal ; but the score or more of Americans 
present were among the best representatives 
of our countrymen and women, and among 
them were several of our Washington 
friends. 

July I'jth and iSth. 

I spent the afternoons in returning calls. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Berlin too has its apartment houses. In 
paying my first visit, I rang the bell of what 
I supposed was a private dwelling; but which 
proved to be an apartment house. There 
was no response, and no one to direct me. 
As I was in the act of leaving, I heard a 
noise. Looking in the direction from which it 
came, I saw the lady upon whom I was call- 
ing. From her I learned that women occu- 
pying apartments in Berlin are obliged to 
run the elevator when they have need of it. 
On special occasions they engage an attend- 
ant. 

July igth. 

Sunday. We took an early train to Pots- 
dam, the most interesting excursion In the 
vicinity of Berlin. It is full of natural beau- 
ties and historical associations. The spa- 
cious parks with their rivers and fountains, 
and the palaces with their well preserved in- 
teriors and contemporary decorations and 
furniture, give one a better picture of a royal 
residence of the i8th century than can be seen 
even at the larger and more pretentious Pal- 
ace of Versailles, which was deprived of so 
much splendor by the Revolution. 

Potsdam, the Prussian Versailles, Is the true 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

cradle of the German army. Numerous sol- 
diers, picked men of the regiments of guards, 
form the most characteristic feature of the 
place. The town Palace is remarkable for 
the sumptuous furniture of Frederick the 
Great which is preserved in its original con- 
dition. 

The most interesting of the palaces is 
Sans Souci. This is reached by way of the 
park Sans Souci, containing a great fountain 
that rises to a height of one hundred and 
thirty feet. A broad flight of steps, inter- 
sected by six terraces, with orange trees on 
either side, ascends from the fountain to the 
Palace. On the highest terrace two foun- 
tains project their water in the form of bells. 

Sans Souci was the favorite residence of 
Frederick the Great. Here the German 
Emperor retired to find relief from the cares 
of state. Here he entertained Voltaire dur- 
ing a period of many months, until their 
friendship, based solely upon their intellec- 
tual tastes, was shattered at last by the differ- 
ence of their dispositions. 

Here, also, stands the windmill about 
which Frederick had his famous controversy. 
He wished to tear it down, as the unsightly 
object annoyed him; but its owner refused to 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

sell, and was even successful In a law suit 
with his majesty. 

There Is another story about the old land- 
mark that brings Into strong relief the noble 
qualities of Frederick's mind, and I like It 
better than that which I have just written. 

According to this story, Frederick sought 
an interview with the miller with a view to 
buying the property. The miller refused to 
sell, giving as his reason that it had long 
been in the possession of his family. I 
should explain, in passing, that the miller 
had never seen the Emperor, and supposed 
his caller to be only the latter's representa- 
tive. After some discussion the miller was 
told that if he continued obdurate, the Em- 
peror might take forcible possession of his 
property. To this the miller replied, " But 
the courts won't let him." The answer 
greatly delighted his majesty, who was 
pleased to see the esteem in which his courts 
were held by his subjects, who knew that un- 
der their protection not even the Emperor 
himself could do them wrong. 

Hard by Sans Souci stands an aged oak, 
known as the Tree of Petitions, on which his 
subjects fastened their petitions to the Em- 
peror. It is related that on a certain occa- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

sion Frederick found the crowd surrounding 
the tree in a state of great excitement. In- 
quiring the cause, he was told that the paper 
that they were reading contained a serious 
reflection on himself. Frederick immedi- 
ately said, " Put it lower down so that every- 
body can see it! " 

July 20th. 
I spent the morning in the galleries so full 
of splendid art. Later I drove with Mrs. 
Hanna and Miss Moore through the city and 
its environs. 

July list. 
Mrs. Meade and I strolled through the 
Thiergarten, in a remote corner of which is 
the Mausoleum containing the tombs of 
Queen Louise and her husband, Frederick 
William III, and William I, and his wife 
Augusta. The inner walls of the chapel are 
of sky-blue color. Upon entering the door 
one is confronted with a mourning angel of 
heroic size. The center of the chapel con- 
tains four tombs. The recumbent figures of 
Queen Louise and Frederick William III are 
strikingly impressive. The figure of the 
beautiful Queen, in Carrara marble, is posed 
as if in sleep. The body is turned a little to 

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the side, the head droops a little^ and the feet 
are crossed. 

We luncheoned at a restaurant close by. 
When we had decided upon our order, a 
waiter approached and asked in German 
what we would like. We gave him our 
order in English, reckoning as best we could 
what the German signified, as the menu was 
in German. He did not understand us; we 
did not understand him. As we were about 
to give up in despair, the only other guest, a 
man, came to our rescue. He, too, spoke 
German and not enough English to be intel- 
ligible. So we politely bowed ourselves out 
and went to another restaurant where we 
were more certain of being understood. 

July 22nd. 
Visited the Royal Palace. Just before en- 
tering the gallery visitors were told to wait 
for shoes. Not realizing what was meant, 
we soon discovered a man approaching with 
his arms full of long felt slippers. We were 
a large party, of all sizes and ages. Every 
one, from the tiniest tot to the largest person, 
was given the same size slipper, much too 
large for even the largest person. After a 
tucking in of toes, we started on our march 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

through the gallery, where we soon learned 
the reason for wearing the slippers. It was 
because of the beautiful and highly polished 
floor, which would be marked by the faintest 
foot-print. The effort to keep the slippers 
on took more time than it did to see the 
paintings, yet they afforded us much amuse- 
ment. I doubt whether such a custom pre- 
vails elsewhere in Europe. It was our only 
experience of its kind. 

Leaving the Palace we found a great gath- 
ering of people. The Emperor's band and 
his guard were en route to the Palace. We 
joined the throng, and were more than repaid 
by the spendid music and fine marching. 

Later I joined friends for a luncheon at 
the Carleton restaurant. On our way up the 
Unter den Linden I chanced to see many peo- 
ple looking upward at a particular point. 
Curiosity led me also to look. My friends, 
in the meantime, had moved on. I had no 
sooner turned my head, when I heard a voice 
saying in my ear, " Nein ! nein ! nein! " 
Wondering what it meant, I turned my head 
quickly, and behold! a hatless, mother-hub- 
bard dressed, red-faced, indignant- looking 
woman was giving me to understand that I 
was in her line of walk. At that moment 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

we were the only people on the pavement, a 
circumstance which accentuated her rudeness. 
She took me so by surprise that words failed 
me; but I looked unutterable things at her 
and walked on to join my friends, who re- 
gretted having missed the scene. It was a 
fresh exhibition of German rudeness. 

It is a well-known fact In Berlin that all 
pedestrians are compelled to turn out for sol- 
diers ; but in my case I was compelled to give 
way to a woman. Miss Moore of our party 
had an experience similar to mine. From 
what I learned, she was walking on one of 
the main thoroughfares, when she met an of- 
ficer coming in her direction. He showed 
no sign of turning out for her, and she de- 
termined not to turn out for him. They 
met, whereupon Miss Moore politely but in- 
dignantly informed the officer that she was 
an American. He tipped his hat and stepped 
aside, and she had the proud satisfaction of 
maintaining both her dignity as a woman and 
an American citizen. 

This afternoon our party comprising the 
American and Mexican commission was pho- 
tographed. There were seventeen people to 
be placed, and it took some time to arrange 
them to the best advantage. It was finally 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

accomplished, and an excellent souvenir was 
the result. 

To-night we were guests of Mr. Camacho, 
to hear the opera of Bocacclo. On entering 
the theater we were requested to check our 
hats. The custom Is an old one In Berlin, 
and a sensible custom It Is. In our country 
the women are beginning to sit with heads 
uncovered during a theatrical performance, 
and In time the custom will be generally ob- 
served. 

My curiosity to see a typical German audi- 
ence was gratified. Most of the women 
wore the conventional shirt waist. The men 
were In business suits. It was a thoroughly 
Bohemian audience. 

The opera was splendidly rendered. It 
was given with a dash that was very enjoy- 
able, and we made no effort to restrain our 
enthusiasm. 

July 22rd. 

Our last day In Berlin was rounded out 
with shopping and driving. 

July 2/\.th. 

We left this morning at 8 130 for Russia, 
that mysterious land of autocratic govern- 
ment; of plotting nihilists and secret police. 
The very thought of Russia sent the creeps 

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flying up and down my spine. Leaving so 
early In the morning meant more or less nerv- 
ousness In getting the party together, and the 
luggage properly checked. 

No one, or nothing, was delayed. When 
the train started, there was a general sigh of 
relief, at the same time we were filled with 
strange emotions at the thought of what 
awaited us In Russia. 

We occupied a special car. All day was 
spent In travel through Northern Germany, 
beautifully picturesque with Its varied land- 
scapes of hills, rivers, valleys, windmills, and 
storks In playful chase, or In nests perched on 
roofs of quaint little box-like red-topped 
houses. 

The grouping of the little homes In Ger- 
many Impresses you with the Idea that they 
band together for mutual protection and 
companionship. It differs In this respect 
from most rural regions, where houses are 
Isolated by great spaces. The simplest scene 
throughout the country left an Impression of 
harmony. The women workers of the soil 
were more In evidence than the men, and 
were usually bare-footed. 

The day passed quickly. The train flew 
faster and faster through the beautiful roll- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

ing country. Night came, and our interest 
was transferred from without to the cars, 
which differ materially from those of our 
country. They give one a sense of privacy 
that our Pullmans fail to give. Instead of 
one long car divided at night by portieres 
only, our car was divided into compartments 
accommodating two or four persons, with an 
upper and lower berth. Near the window, 
and communicating with the adjoining com- 
partment, is a slide that can be opened or 
closed as desired. A stand serves the double 
purpose of toilet and table. A tiny lamp 
shaded with red burns at night. You lock 
your door or not as you please. Outside the 
compartments runs an aisle the length of the 
car, with folding seats at the windows. Every 
essential comfort is afforded. 

The service from Berlin to St. Petersburg 
was excellent. Now and then several men 
would pass through the car. They were 
stolidly silent. They did not intrude upon 
our privacy, except in the mere act of passing. 

Just before we arrived at St. Petersburg, I 
learned that the men were agents of the se- 
cret police detailed to watch us. Uncon- 
sciously we were under Russian surveillance. 

The service of the car was conducted by 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

men who acted in the capacity of soldiers, 
porters or otherwise. I was surprised to see 
in the dining-car a man whom I supposed, 
from his dignity and uniform, to be an army 
officer. He was much in evidence looking 
after the comfort of the travelers. My sur- 
prise came at dinner, when on turning sud- 
denly from the window, I found my plate 
being taken by the man who might have been 
a general, or other officer of rank so far as 
his manner and appearance were concerned. 
He instantly dropped the plate, whether from 
pride or nervousness I never knew. It was 
his last appearance in the car. 

Night came. It was ten o'clock. The 
train stopped. We were at the Russian 
frontier. The signal was given for all to 
leave the train, and take their hand-bags with 
them. As the atmosphere of America is 
charged with electricity, so I felt that the 
Russian atmosphere was charged with inde- 
finable fear. 

On leaving the car, a line of men stood 
waiting to take our bags. They were a seri- 
ous lot. They wore queer, low beaver hats^ 
and long white blouses reaching below their 
knees, over blue cotton trousers. At the 
sound of a gong they took our hand-luggage. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

At another sound of the gong they moved 
with alacrity to the room for inspection, 
where they hurriedly dropped the luggage 
and again stood in line to await instructions. 
It was all done with military precision. 

There was some difficulty in explaining to 
the customs officers that the luggage of our 
party was not subject to inspection, as ours 
was an official commission, and entitled by 
International comity to this courtesy. How- 
ever, It was opened just the same, and the 
curiosity of the officers gratified, If it was 
curiosity that Influenced them. Again the 
gong sounded, the men hurriedly shouldered 
the luggage, and, hat in hand, backed out of 
the door making a profound bow, and a sign 
of the cross towards the opposite end of the 
room. All their movements seemed Inexpli- 
cable. I looked to discover the meaning of 
It, and saw an illuminated ikon, or Image of 
Christ, to which each man turned before 
leaving the room. The Russian never 
forgets the observance of his religious 
duty. 

Again on the train, I discovered the com- 
partment Illuminated with thousands of 
sparks. I supposed the train was afire, for 
I was prepared for any horror that might 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

await us In Russia. I managed to sleep a 
little after I learned that the engine was 
burning soft wood, and that this was the 
cause of the sparks. I was too excited to 
sleep much, yet It seemed but a short time 
when the sun looked Inquiringly into our win- 
dow. 

I arose early, not wishing to lose sight of 
anything Russian. The first object to at- 
tract my attention was a family of father, 
mother and child, the latter not more than 
three years old, working together on a siding, 
running parallel with our track. They were 
removing stones from the road-bed, and were 
scantily clothed and bare-footed. The little 
tot worked with vigor, and his appearance 
excited my sympathy. For him. It was not 
play; but real work. His baby face was old 
beyond its years, and his brow was already 
lined with care. 

Here and there, among the bare hills and 
on the plains, were log houses with groups of 
men, women and children, bare-footed and 
bare-legged, their clothes hanging In rags 
about them. Some were In door-ways, some 
sleeping beside their hay ricks. Their ap- 
pearance betokened misery In Its most abject 
form. After seeing them I realized more 

'^33 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

fully than ever we were at last '' in Darkest 
Russia.'* 

We were on the train nearly three days, 
when suddenly I saw, in the dim distance, 
through the sunshine, the gilded domes of 
St. Petersburg. The sight filled me with 
strange delight. We reached the station at 
four o'clock, and were driven to the Hotel 
d'Europe. The person most in evidence 
there was a boy of ten years. He was short 
and sturdy looking, with midnight-like eyes. 
He was politeness personified. He spoke 
Russian, French and Italian with equal facil- 
ity, but no English. Judging from his dig- 
nity and business-like methods, he might have 
been the manager. He took our small lug- 
gage, conducted us to our rooms, and did not 
leave us until assured of our comfort. My 
first impulse was to kidnap him, if such an act 
was feasible. How I did want to keep him ! 
When I was in doubt it was the little page 
that directed me. His face was always sad. 
I am reminded as I revise these notes some 
weeks later, that during our stay of two 
weeks in St. Petersburg I never saw a smile 
on his remarkably handsome face. 

After our long railway ride, and refreshed 
with a good dinner, we were curious to see 

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the city. It was then seven o'clock; but as 
darkness does not fall at this season until 
after ten o'clock, we had several hours for 
driving. Our little page ordered a drojka 
(droshki) a low, small victoria, with wheels 
no larger than those of a good-sized wheel- 
barrow. Only two people are allowed to 
ride In a drojka. The driver is called Izvos- 
chik, and his seat is just large enough to ac- 
commodate himself. It is very narrow and 
without a back. The drivers are obliged to 
be polite or pay a fine. They are usually 
polite. 

We took our seats. The little page gave 
orders as to our drive. Off the horses gal- 
loped. I had expected to find everything 
strange in Russia; but never dreamed of so 
wild reckless driving as one sees here. It is 
said that " Russian horses fling their feet to 
the breeze, and speed like the breath of the 
storm-fiend." That they are wonderfully 
fleet-footed there is no doubt. 

We drove to the beautiful Island of Cubat, 
where a fine view of the Bay of Finland is en- 
joyed. 

In our ride through the city I noticed in 
the center of the streets, at equal distances, 
soldiers on guard. I wondered what they 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

were there for as fast driving certainly is not 
prohibited. Our horse, at that time, seemed 
to be running to destruction. I learned 
afterwards that the soldiers were so stationed 
to direct traffic and to perform any other 
service required of them, as is the case in 
London and Berlin. 

Russia has been compared to a giant 
sleeping under a shroud of snow. It can be 
truly said that it sleeps under a shroud of 
sorrow. The Empire occupies one-seventh 
of the entire land surface of the globe, and 
It embraces within its limits more poverty, 
more misery, and more political persecution 
than the rest of continental Europe combined. 

St. Petersburg, almost within the Arctic 
Circle, Is built at a point where the Neva, one 
of the noblest rivers in Europe, flows into the 
Gulf of Finland. It was founded by Peter 
the Great, and the regularity, cleanliness and 
width of Its streets; the beauty of Its homes, 
and the number of its canals, fill the traveler 
who looks upon them for the first time with 
admiration and amazement. It contains one 
hundred and thirty bridges, and I am not sur- 
prised, for one sees them, when driving, at 
every turn. 

No European capital, excepting perhaps 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

London and Vienna, leaves on the mind so 
strong an impression of power, wealth and 
ostentation as St. Petersburg. 

July I'jth. 

I have been making a tour of inspection 
this morning through the hotel. It is built 
of cream-colored stone, four stories In height. 
The rooms are unusually large, the furniture 
mostly of heavy walnut. The halls have 
heavy double windows, the outer windows 
wedged with cotton batting. The inner win- 
dows are opened occasionally for ventilation. 
There are no shutters or blinds at the win- 
dows of the bedrooms. Heavy plush cur- 
tains are used in summer as in winter. The 
bathrooms are dark and dingy. They con- 
tain a small stove. When warm water Is 
needed it is heated on the little stove and con- 
veyed to the tub. 

At the main entrance to the hotel stands a 
porter who wears a long blue-cloth bath-like 
robe which touches the ground. It is girdled 
with a red cord and tassel that reaches to his 
feet. His head is covered with a narrow 
blue-cloth turban, with a band of short pea- 
cock feathers standing upright all around the 
crown. 

Beggars are a known quantity in St. Peters- 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

burg. I was strangely struck to-day, while 
driving, to see a man pose as a blind beggar. 
He was standing by a fence. Beside him 
was a babe in its carriage, also a little girl. 
The man saw, near by, people approaching 
towards him, and hurriedly closed his eyes, 
and with outstretched hands received his pit- 
tances. As soon as he supposed the giver 
was out of sight, he opened wide his eyes, and 
smilingly dropped the coins in his pocket. 
Again, he saw others coming towards him. 
Again his eyes were shut and out again went 
his pleading hand. 

St. Petersburg has many curious charac- 
ters, and one of them is the Izvostchik, or 
driver. Some are mere boys. All wear 
long navy-blue coats that fall to their feet, 
and are full enough to wrap twice about 
them. Their coat is the only wearing ap- 
parel many of them possess, except a blanket, 
as a substitute for underwear. A red, or gay- 
colored belt girdles the coat. Their hats are 
similar to the Beef-eaters of London, only 
much smaller. The band on the hat 
corresponds to their girdle. Their hair is 
very thick, cut short at the tips of their ears, 
and a " lock " brought forward over each ear, 
which gives them a grotesque appearance. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

The harness of the horses is so light that 
it seems as mere ribbons of leather. A curi- 
ous arch-like yoke extends from one shaft to 
the other, which makes the animal's head ap- 
pear as if set in a picture frame. 

A fine fringe of beads falls from their 
foreheads over their eyes, which must fret 
them greatly, judging from the way they toss 
their heads. They whirl you over the streets 
with a rapidity that is startling. 

No Russian, however busy, or however fast 
his horse may run, will pass a church or an 
ikon without removing his hat and making 
the sign of the cross. Many prostrate them- 
selves and kiss the pavement. It is no un- 
usual thing, in passing a church any hour of 
the day, to see people kneeling singly or in 
groups on its steps. Their religion is the one 
oasis in their lives, and it attracts you 
strangely. 

The forenoon was given to a visit to the 
Musee des Ecuries Imperiale (the museum 
of state-carriages), the most wonderful in 
the world. Among the collection are the 
coronation carriage with its coat of arms set 
in crystals; the carriage of Elizabeth, wife of 
Peter the Great; ten carriages alike, used by 
Alexander II. on long journeys of his en- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

tourage when tired of riding horse-back; the 
carriage of Catharine II., with Spanish dec- 
orations; a carriage painted by Watteau 
studded all over with crystals; an embalmed 
horse used by Peter the Great; a carriage with 
its shattered back in which Alexander 11. 
was killed by a bomb, and the state horse 
trappings of bejeweled red leather. 

July 2Sth. 

As we drove about the city, I was strongly 
impressed by the absence of people on the 
streets. The city was quite deserted. Many 
persons had gone to their summer homes, or 
on the continent, as Is their custom. 

Women of Russian cities are not supposed 
to enjoy the freedom of walking as we do in 
America. Driving is so cheap that every 
one except the peasants can afford the 
luxury. 

We accompanied friends to the arondisse- 
ment of Alexander Nevsky, one of the great- 
est in St.Petersburg. There are seven churches 
and a convent within its walls. One church, 
strikingly unique, has white walls. It Is filled 
with white tombs of many of the great per- 
sonages of Russia. On and about the tombs 
are emblems of many kinds. Including artlfi- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

clal wreaths of flowers, and luxurious rugs of 
all sizes. Gay-colored lamps burn above 
many of them. 

Russia is the greatest country in the world 
for holy relics. All its churches contain 
many of remarkable beauty. 

The Cathedral of the Trinity is an eccle- 
siastical museum. Within a massive silver 
shrine are the relics of Saint Alexander Nev- 
sky, its sides representing in bas-relief the 
principal episodes in the life of the saint. 
Among other relics are a lamp in massive 
gold with tassels of fine pearls and diamonds, 
an offering of Catharine II., an ikon of the 
Nativity of the Virgin, richly ornamented in 
jewels, and framed in gold, and the crown 
of Alexander Nevsky. 

Outside a small chapel, void of adorn- 
ments, we stopped for a moment, entranced 
by the strains of what we supposed to be a 
fine organ. Entering the chapel we found a 
choir of male voices chanting the vesper serv- 
ice. Such music! We had never heard its 
like before. It was Gregorian. 

I wonder if I can properly describe the 
scene. The choir formed a square in the 
center of the room. At the farther side, and 
standing alone, was the leader, a young 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

priest, bare-headed and wearing a long black 
robe. On each side of the square were ten 
men of about the same age, and similarly at- 
tired. Opposite the leader stood an equal 
number of singers, all older and wearing long 
beards and long hair. On their heads were 
high stove-pipe shaped hats covered with a 
black veil which fell over their shoulders and 
among the folds of their robes. A perfect 
organ could not have produced more exquis- 
ite harmony than those throats gave forth. 

The solemnity was heightened by several 
women clothed in deep mourning, prostrate 
on the floor, their faces buried against the 
boards. 

The monks of the Russian church are con- 
spicuous by their long black robes and flowing 
hair. Their beards, also, are worn long. 
They aim to look as Christ-like as possible. 

July 20th. 
A party of us went to the Winter Palace of 
the Czar, which Is one of the largest In the 
world. It is superbly situated close by the 
rolling Neva. The stairway leading to the 
galleries Is of Carrara marble. One of Its 
rooms contains the Crown jewels, another the 
crystals and gold plate of Alexander I. and 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Alexander III., and valued belongings of Al- 
exander II. The magnificent imperial 
crown is in the form of a dome. On its sum- 
mit is a cross of large diamonds resting on 
an immense ruby. The crown of the Em- 
press contains the most beautiful mass of 
jewels ever found in a single ornament. 
There, also, is the precious scepter containing 
the celebrated Orloff diamond. 

Connecting with the Winter Palace is the 
Imperial Hermitage, which alone repays a 
journey to St. Petersburg. Catharine II. 
caused it to be built as a refuge from the 
cares of state. Here she received her friends, 
who were reminded to leave their quarrels at 
the door with their swords and hats. Small 
fines were inflicted for violation of the rules, 
and the money was given to the poor, who, 
methinks, profited little. 

Catharine II. was a unique character in 
history. She was styled " the Semiramis of 
the North." She was a woman of great 
beauty. She is quoted as saying, " I have 
never fancied myself extremely beautiful; but 
I have the art of pleasing, which I think is 
my greatest gift." 

The Hermitage is no longer a royal resi- 
dence; but a vast museum which represents, 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

not a capital, but an Empire, and stands as 
an exponent of the wealth, the resources, and 
the refined taste of the Nation and its rulers. 
Its agents were directed to outbid the world 
for treasures, and they did apparently. It 
contains the best Spanish pictures outside of 
Spain. No other art museum has so great 
an array of ornaments, among them vases of 
lapis lazuli, the art collection of Rubens, 
Tenier, Van Heist, Van Dyck, Watteau, in 
fact the highest art of every school is repre- 
sented. The Gallery of Peter the Great 
shows articles of his skill, one of them be- 
ing an exquisite ivory chandelier; also a real- 
istic life-sized statue of himself, with hair 
falling to his shoulders, and wearing a suit of 
blue and silver, his own workmanship; the 
gold service of Anne of Russia; and a daz- 
zling array of jeweled cases and Dresden 
china in settings of gold and jewels, the gifts 
of Catharine 11. 

July 315?. 
The little log house which Peter the Great 
built and occupied while he was governing 
the building of the city greatly interested me. 
It contains a bedroom, dining-room and 
kitchen,. On entering you are obliged to in- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

cline your head because of the low ceiling. It 
contains what is said to be the holiest ikon 
or Image of Christ. The face, full of an- 
guish, Is set in a jeweled frame. It is the 
Ikon carried by Peter the Great in his battles, 
and wherever he went. 

From the log house we went to the old 
Fortress, the Bastile of Russia; and Saints 
Peter and Paul, the church of tombs, at the 
entrance of the Neva and the city. 

Coincident with the uprisings In Russia, 
and the many desperate attempts on the lives 
of the Royal family, one Is reminded of the 
remarkable tomb where Russia's royalty Is 
burled. 

A block of plain white marble marks the 
spot where lies an Emperor or Empress, a 
Grand Duke, or a Grand Duchess of Russia. 
The last resting-place of the reigning house 
of Russia is In the Cathedral Saints Peter and 
Paul. 

The remains of the Illustrious dead are not 
In the blocks of marble one sees. These are 
but solid blocks of stone. The Imperial 
tombs are way down In the deep, damp, dark, 
terrible dungeons. 

All the sovereigns of Russia except Peter 
the Great are buried there. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

On the tomb of the Grand Duke Constan- 
tine are the keys captured by him of the for- 
tress In Poland. War medals lie on the 
block over the tomb of Emperor Alexander 
I. Many gilt and silver wreaths rest on the 
tombs of the father and grandfather of the 
present Czar. Great palm trees, lighted 
candles and jeweled ikons contribute to the 
gloom of the place, while the walls are cov- 
ered with military trophies, standards, flags, 
keys of captured fortresses and battle-axes 
taken from Turks, tribes of Asia, and all 
the other nations with which Russia has waged 
war during the last three centuries. 

Late this afternoon we were strolling down 
the Nevsky Prospect, when I saw the steps of 
the Cathedral of Kazan covered with red 
carpet. Thinking it might be a wedding, I 
said, " Let us see if we can get into the 
church." We succeeded without difficulty 
for the bronze doors were open. 

The Cathedral is built on the model of St. 
Peter's of Rome. Its colonnade is in a semi- 
circle, and contains the miraculous image of 
Notre Dame de Kazan to Moscow in 1579, 
and from Moscow to St. Petersburg by Peter 
the Great in 172 1. 

The ikon is covered with a shrine in gold, 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

set in jewels, among which is a magnificent 
sapphire. 

Before the altar are four immense silver 
chandeliers, and supporting the ceiling are 
sixteen columns in metal and jewels. From 
the walls are suspended a number of captured 
French, Persian and Turkish flags and keys. 

The Cathedral is a brilliant setting for the 
simplest ceremony, and is awe-inspiring for a 
great one. 

When we entered the Cathedral but few 
people were present. We inquired what the 
ceremony was to be, and were told that "a 
new church was born to-day in one of the 
provinces of Russia. The ceremony is to 
commemorate its birth." 

It was exceedingly interesting to watch the 
people as they entered and bought, just within 
the door, their candles, from a little piece an 
inch long, to the number and lengths their 
purses permitted. The candles were placed 
on the balustrade of the aisle through which 
the Bishop of Russia passed to the altar. 

All, after placing their candles, prostrated 
themselves on the floor several times in quick 
succession. 

One pretty peasant standing near us, happy 
in her simple fresh toilet, knelt and kissed the 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

floor six times. I supposed she would show 
signs of the exertion. She did not. When 
she arose the last time, her face was beatific 
in its religious rapture. 

There, noble and peasant knelt side by side 
on terms of equality. 

Suddenly the Gregorian music, chanted by 
a number of boys and men of all ages, pealed 
forth as if from an organ. They stood with- 
in the altar which was a dazzling illumina- 
tion, giving the effect of a jeweled wall. 
Priests in robes of white and gold, with their 
numerous train-bearers, assembled at the en- 
trance. The door was opened. The Bishop 
entered followed by his retinue. The priests 
who received him came next. 

The Bishop, a man more than six feet in 
height, and with very broad shoulders, wore 
a long purple cloak which reached to the 
floor. It was bordered with silver in Greek 
designs. Surmounting his head was a tall 
stove-pipe shaped hat with no brim. It was 
covered with a long purple cloth veil bor- 
dered also with silver in a Greek design. The 
veil fell far down over his mantle. The dis- 
tinguished party moved with great solemnity 
along the wide central nave to the chancel, 
where the character of the service incident to 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the celebration was not unlike that in our 
own Catholic churches so far as I was able 
to distinguish. There was this difference, 
however, the music was finer, the number of 
persons participating in the ceremonies was 
larger, and the setting for the occasion more 
rich and ornate than I had ever deemed pos- 
sible. It was an awe-inspiring and uplift- 
ing scene that I have many times recalled and 
always with a wish to see again. 

Aug. 1st. 

We visited the National Gallery to-day. 
It possesses a notably fine ceiling and collec- 
tion of old china and jewels, as well as a col- 
lection of paintings. Many of the paintings 
are the work of the famous artist Verest- 
chagin whose specialty Is war scenes. A 
number of these pictures were exhibited In 
America some years ago. 

After several hours spent in the Gallery 
we drove to the statue of Peter the Great, 
near the entrance to the Admiralty. The 
statue rests on a pedestal of uncut stone 
brought from Finland. The Emperor is 
represented on a horse which rears on his 
hind legs after the favorite manner of Velas- 
quez in well-known equestrian portraits of 
Ferdinand IV. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

On the head of the Emperor rests a wreath 
of laurel. His right hand points imperiously 
to the Neva and the Fortress. A serpent is 
coiled about the feet of the horse. 

All Russia seems but one vast monument to 
the genius of Peter the Great. 

Another monument visited was the famous 
Alexander Column facing the Winter Palace. 
It is the pride of all Russia. It is a column 
of red granite eighty-four feet high. 

Later we visited the Admiralty, the center 
of the Naval Department of Russia. It is 
an imposing structure. Its front is a half mile 
in length, and from its finely decorated tower 
rises a slender shaft of gold, which is one of 
the most conspicuous objects visible on ap- 
proaching the city. It has been likened to a 
glittering exclamation point of wonder at 
Peter the Great's achievements, and the 
simile is not an inapt one. 

Among the many stories that illustrate the 
blunt frankness of Peter the Great is this: 
In London, on one occasion, pointing to some 
English barristers wearing wigs and gowns, 
he asked, "Who are these men?" "Law- 
yers! " was the reply. " Lawyers ! " repeated 
Peter, " what is the use of so many. I have 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

only two in my whole Empire, and I mean to 
hang one of them as soon as I return." 

Aug. 2nd. 
Our entire party were guests to-day of sev- 
eral of Russia's representative men. We 
left the Hotel d'Europe at 1 1 a. m. The Ht- 
tle horses seemed to have caught the spirit of 
the pleasure in store for us. The pace of 
each from the start seemed a wild chase to 
reach the Island of Cubat. Notwithstand- 
ing the reckless pace we all arrived safely. 
We found M. de Plevski, M. Pokotiloff, 
M. de Wichnaegradski, Baron Michel Me- 
dam, M. Pierre de Bark and M. Nicholas 
de Malewinski at the restaurant to receive 
us. Introductions followed, after which we 
were invited to luncheon. The tables, of 
which there were two, formed the letter T, 
though separated. We were escorted to the 
upper end, where all formality was laid aside, 
and each guest was asked to step to the table 
to select what he or she might wish. The 
table was fillpd with Russian hors d'oeuvres of 
many kinds. From the daintiness and appe- 
tizing appearance of each, the difficulty was 
the greater in deciding. This finished, we 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

were conducted to the longer table. Not 
knowing how to resist the polite insistence to 
taste so many tempting dishes, our appetites 
were satiated before the real luncheon, where 
other Russian edibles, still more elaborate, 
were served. At the plates for the ladies 
were bunches of rare roses. Toasts, wit and 
wine followed with sparkling rapidity. In 
Russia, with every toast guests are obliged to 
rise with glass filled to the brim. All 
through the luncheon could be heard strains 
of exquisite music. We wondered whence it 
came, for the musicians were not visible. 
Luncheon completed, we were escorted to a 
door close by the Neva where lay the yacht 
of the Minister of Finance, and from which 
came the exquisite strains of the Russian 
mandolin club that we had heard throughout 
the luncheon. There, in the center of the 
deck, was bountifully spread another table 
with Russian edibles and drinkables. 

I should explain, before proceeding far- 
ther, the official designation of our enter- 
tainers. M. de Plevski was president of the 
State bank of Russia, an official second only 
in dignity and importance to that of Minis- 
ter of Finance, then filled by M. de WItte, 
one of the ablest financiers and economists in 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Europe. M. de Plevski was chairman of 
the Russian Commission appointed to meet 
the American Commission. His associates 
Avere M. Pokotlloff, at that time manag- 
ing director of the Russo-Chlnese bank of 
Shanghai; M. de WIchnaegradskI and M. 
de Bark were Court chamberlains. Baron 
Medam and M. de Malewinski were the 
secretaries. 

Shortly after our departure from Russia 
M. de Plevski succeeded M. de WItte as 
Minister of Finance; M. de WItte later, 
with M. Pokotiloff as assistant, represent- 
ing Russia at the Portsmouth Convention 
where the peace negotiations between Russia 
and Japan were signed. Both M. de Plev- 
ski and M. Pokotiloff have since died. 

All on board, the yacht steamed away to 
Peterhof (the summer residence of the mem- 
bers of the Imperial family) by way of the 
Neva and the canal which enters the Gulf of 
Finland. 

After a sail of great beauty and interest we 
arrived at Peterhof, where we found a num- 
ber of landeaus In readiness, to convey us 
through the parks. In those for the ladles 
were generous boxes of choice bon-bons. 

We entered the park and found ourselves 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

in the midst of fountains rivaling in beauty 
those of Versailles. 

Peter the Great was to Peterhof what 
Louis XIV. was to Versailles. He employed 
thousands of men to construct palaces, ave- 
nues, villas and canals. Beautiful statues 
and Roman ruins stand as white sentinels 
throughout the park. The fountain of 
" Mountain of gold " with its water flowing 
over a flight of gilded steps, nymphs, river 
gods and heroes of mythology figuring in 
them, is, at sunset, a scene of unusual beauty. 

One of the remarkable rooms of the Pal- 
ace is paneled with several hundred pictures 
of beautiful young women painted for Catha- 
rine 11. 

The room with the mantel, mirrors, fire- 
place, ornaments and its chandelier, with 
triple rows of burners, all in Sevres*, and the 
room in Dresden which corresponds to the 
room in Sevres, are remarkable in their ele- 
gant appointments. 

The home of Peter the Great, its Chinese 
room, and dining-room with mantels covered 
with scrolls on which are tiny brackets con- 
taining cups and bowls, is unique. 

One of the most strikingly beautiful build- 
ings on the island is the Palais Belvidere 

154 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

which crowns the summit of a hill. It is of 
white marble, its four sides supported by Cor- 
inthian columns. One would suppose it to 
be a Greek Temple placed there did one not 
know that all art in Russia is Russian. 

When several hours had been spent in driv- 
ing over the island with its fascinatingly at- 
tractive white marble buildings, fountains and 
lakes, we boarded the yacht, sailing back to 
St. Petersburg with the mandolin music, the 
setting sun and full moonlight for supper set- 
tings. 

Aug. '^rd. 

The first object to attract me this morning 
was a man, in a singular way, scrubbing a 
floor. His right foot was swathed in 
rags. His right hand was placed on the 
knee to govern the foot which he dipped into 
a bucket of water. He then scrubbed the 
floor with his foot, of which he made a 
scrubbing brush. 

I wanted to tell him an easier way, but as 
there was no brush with which to demon- 
strate,, I passed on, wondering why he did 
not use a simpler method — a brush. 

On leaving the hotel, I discovered an 
equally primitive method of paving the 

155 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

streets. The men sat on the ground. Their 
feet were bundled in rags. Their heels were 
placed together. Between the soles of their 
feet were big stones. A huge hammer was 
used to shape the stones to their places, and 
that Is the custom of paving the streets of 
Russia. 

Yet another strange custom is that of a 
hotel porter twisting a big cloth through the 
handle of a trunk, by which he carries the 
trunk on his back. 

Next to interest me were the shops, where 
German Is generally spoken. French Is 
spoken by few of the shop-keepers, and Eng- 
lish seldom, if ever. 

If you have a driver who understands 
Russian only, and you know sufficient Rus- 
sian to say yaprara and nyaprara (right and 
left) you are fortunate, otherwise you are 
likely to be lost as was one of our party, until 
he finally succeeded In finding a gendarme 
who rescued him from his dilemma. 

When a driver possesses a faint knowledge 
of French, and mixes it with his Russian, you 
are blessed if you can make yourself suffi- 
ciently understood to get back safely to the 
hotel. 

The day of our arrival we were given cards 
156 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

with an Illustration of the hotel. In the 
event of our driver not understanding our de- 
sire to return to the hotel, we were told to 
show him the card. If he failed to recognize 
the picture I found yaprara and nyaprara 
most useful, if I did have to use it at every 
corner until my destination was reached. 
The mental poverty of the mass of peasants 
Is as abject as is their material poverty. 

Aug. 4.th. 

This morning we visited the Church of St. 
Isaac, which was forty years building at a 
cost exceeding forty million rubles (twenty 
million dollars). Each step to the entrance 
Is a gigantic block of rose granite. Before 
Its altar screen are ten columns of malachite 
and pillars of lapis lazuli. Its steps are of 
polished jasper. Its rails of alabaster. Its 
portraits of saints and Its shrines are set In 
gold Incrusted with jewels. One image of 
Christ is studded with diamonds. The 
church Is so magnificent that it must be seen 
to be fully appreciated. I can find no words 
to do It justice. 

Leaving the Church of St. Isaac we drove 
by the equestrian statue of the Czar Nicho- 
las, an ideal Russian autocrat, a civilized 

157 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Peter the Great. The statue stands in one of 
the finest squares of St. Petersburg. 

While we luncheoned I chanced to look out 
of the window just in time to see a member 
of the Royal household passing. He was 
dressed in the conventional afternoon suit. 
Sharply contrasting with his quiet attire was 
the appearance of his coachman and footman. 
Their coats were a mass of gold embroidery. 
They wore the continental shaped hat, also 
heavily embroidered in gold. Each wore his 
hat differently, the coachman with the points 
at the sides, the footman with the points front 
and back. 

Aug. ^th. 

To-day while driving we passed a cata- 
falque. It was on very small wheels, and 
covered with a superb pall of gold. It was 
drawn by four horses caparisoned in heavy 
black cloth, with nodding black plumes. At 
the head of each horse, and at the sides of 
the catafalque, were monks with their trail- 
ing black cloaks, and pipe-like hats and long 
black veils. The outlines of the form could 
be seen through the cloth. It was a striking 
scene of black and gold as it moved slowly 
through the streets. 

This afternoon after I had visited an ar- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

cade, I strolled on the Nevsky Prospect. The 
street was almost deserted. Always eager 
for a new sensation, I was gratified when I 
saw coming towards me the strangest looking 
woman I have ever seen. She was fully six 
feet high. If not higher, and as straight as a 
grenadier. Her clothes were markedly sim- 
ple. On her head she wore a tiny cloth hat 
void of trimming. It was shaped like the 
toy hats that I have seen children make of 
paper to represent soldier hats. It was nar- 
row, and pointed In front and back. Her 
heavy suit of hair was combed plainly off her 
finely featured face. Her eyes ! They fairly 
hypnotized me. I have never seen their like, 
very large and almond shaped. Such eyes, 
I fancy, as the Andaluslans only possess. The 
longer I looked at her, the larger I felt my 
own eyes growing. Alas ! It was only while 
under the " spell " of her gaze that they 
grew, as my first glance In the mirror after 
seeing her convinced me that they were just 
the same as before I met her. 

A smile played about her lips as she passed 
me. She evidently saw that she had fasci- 
nated me. I did so much want to ask her to 
tell me who and what she was. In all my 
travels I have seen no one like her. 

159 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

This evening we dined at a typical Russian 
restaurant on the Nevsky Prospect. We 
were asked If we would have hot or cold 
soup. As the day was unusually warm, 
we decided to take cold soup. It was 
promptly served. First a slice of sal- 
mon was placed In the plate. Over 
that was poured a thick brown soup. We 
looked on it with fear and trembling. It 
contained mutton, carrots, prunes and small 
pieces of Ice. That was our first cold soup, 
the national soup of Russia, called " chtchl." 
A sip was sufficient. With the dinner were 
served cucumbers, a la Russe. They are 
short, thick and yellow, frozen and served 
whole, peeled and eaten with salt only. 
They are called " ogourtzis." The custom 
of drinking tea from glasses set in silver 
cups is peculiarly Russian and tempting. 

Aug. "jth. 
We left last night for Moscow, where we 
arrived early this morning. The road-bed 
between the two cities Is so smooth, that 
travel over it Is a railway luxury. It Is also 
the stralghtest railway In the world. There 
Is not a curve In it. The story of its construc- 
tion is an old one. It Is related that when 

1 60 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Emperor Nicholas decided to build It, he 
asked his engineers to draw the plans and 
specifications. When they were completed 
and laid before the Emperor for his ap- 
proval, he saw that they had arranged to run 
the line through many of the important vil- 
lages and towns between the two terminals, 
the Idea being, I presume, to give as many 
places as possible the benefit of rail connec- 
tion with the old and the new capitals. This 
was not the Emperor's thought. His inten- 
tion was to get the shortest line of communi- 
cation, presumably for military purposes. 
The commercial side of the enterprise did not 
appeal to him. Picking up a ruler that lay 
on his desk, he so placed it on the map as to 
connect the two cities by the shortest route, 
and quietly said, " Build it so! " There was 
nothing to do but to obey, and the result is a 
railway unique In modern engineering. 

As we drove from the railway station to 
the hotel I was Insensibly reminded of Wash- 
ington. This was, perhaps, more an associa- 
tion of ideas than of any actual similarity be- 
tween the two cities. In Washington we have 
the sharply contrasting evidences of wealth 
and poverty, standing side by side as, for ex- 
ample, a palatial residence with a plain, sin- 

i6i 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

gle-story, wooden "shack" for neighbor. 
So, too, in Moscow. Before a finely propor- 
tioned church with lofty towers and brilliant 
domes. Is located the hut of a blacksmith. 
Miserable hovels, which we should expect to 
find in the outskirts of a town, stand forth in 
Moscow beside a palace or a cathedral, just 
as a Russian peasant, whose rags are redolent 
with the odors of time, unconscious of his 
filthlness, stands beside a man cleanly 
dressed. 

Moscow, the many-colored meeting ground 
of many nationalities, is first mentioned In the 
chronicles of 1137. It is farther east than 
Jerusalem. Like Constantinople, it is situ- 
ated where two great divisions of our globe, 
the Orient and the Occident, forever " gaze 
Inquiringly into each other's eyes." It is the 
ancient capital of Russia, the city with the 
white walls, full of a strange symphony of 
colors, of points, campaniles, bulbs, domes 
and gold crosses. It is the saint city of Rus- 
sia, and one of the most irregularly built cities 
in the world. The center of the most attract- 
ive part is in the form of a hemlcycle. The 
streets are very wide. It has no resemblance 
to any other city of Europe. The Influence 
of Western Europe makes itself felt here. It 

162 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

is the only city of the Interior of Europe 
where so many natlonahties are represented. 
The French costume dominates ; but the mou- 
jlk with his long beard, his boots of bark, his 
patched Turkish garments ; the priest with his 
brown robe, his black cap, his long hair and 
beard, the Tartars and Turks, Greeks and 
Persians with long red cloaks and red fez, 
also are conspicuous. 

Within the walls of Moscow are the Impe- 
rial and most sacred temples of the Empire. 
These, with their gilded domes and varl-col- 
ored roofs and walls above the Kremlin bat- 
tlements, present a veritable galaxy of splen- 
dor. The old Kremlin, a sort of fortress on 
a high hill, In the center of the city, is in the 
form of a triangle, and embraces one-fourth 
of the city. It is a vast assemblage of 
churches, palaces, monuments, surrounded by 
an Immense red brick wall embattled with 
towers. The wall was constructed In 1534. 

No foreigner can look upon the Kremlin 
without deep emotion, and as for the Russian 
peasants, whenever they approach it, and see 
its gilded turrets gleaming like golden hel- 
mets in the sun, they often fall upon their 
knees and weep for joy, moved to ecstasy 
of religious fervor, like that which thrilled 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the hosts of the Crusaders when they first 
gazed upon Jerusalem. 

It is in the Kremlin that the Emperor re- 
ceives his religious consecration. There are 
the bells of Ivan Velosky that announce to 
the people that the Emperor has taken posses- 
sion of the throne of his fathers. 

A proverb says " Above Moscow there is 
only one Kremlin. Above the Kremlin there 
is only one sky." 

The union so characteristic of all Russia, 
of the temporal and spiritual power, is no- 
where more characteristic than here with its 
numerous churches surrounding the Imperial 
Palaces. 

You enter the Kremlin by five gates, all 
curious by their style, or the historic remem- 
brance of them. 

The Saint Sauveur (Savior) gate is sur- 
mounted with a Gothic tower on the summit 
of which perches the Eagle of Russia. Its 
horologe dates from the time of Peter the 
Great. Above its entrance is the image of 
Saint Sauveur brought from Smolensk in 
1674, by the Czar Alexes Mikailovitch. The 
image, or ikon, is the palladium of the Krem- 
lin. The Church Saint Sauveur, which com- 

164 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

memorates the expulsion of the French from 
Russia, is the most famous and the most 
beautiful in the Kremlin. It is there the 
Emperor first goes on his entry into Moscow. 
It is of delicate cream color, standing forth 
in beautiful relief against the blue sky. Its 
roof is surmounted with a balustrade of 
gilded bronze. Its form is that of a Greek 
cross. It is particularly beautiful when its 
gilded domes are glittering in the long fas- 
cinating twilight which makes Russia so at- 
tractive. Its walls are covered with Siberian 
jasper, porphyry, malachite, alabaster and 
many incrustations of jewels. Near the cen- 
ter of the Kremlin is the Church of the As- 
sumption, or sacred place of the Empress, in 
which is interred the ancient patriarchs of 
Russia, and where all the Czars from Ivan 
the Terrible to the present sovereign have 
been crowned. It has a gigantic dome in the 
center, and four smaller ones at the corners. 

In the Cathedral of the Archangel, oppo- 
site the Assumption, are interred the Czars, 
predecessors of Peter the Great, his brother 
Ivan and Peter the II. 

It is in the Cathedral of the Annunciation, 
full of wonderful beauty in color and treas- 

165 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

ures, that the baptisms and marriages take 
place. It has nine domes, each surmounted 
by a gilt cross. 

It is said the churches of Moscow were 
more frequently endowed with jewels than 
with money, which accounts for their regal 
display. 

The Church of St. Basil, erected over the 
grave of St. Basil the blessed, the most origi- 
nal building in the world, stands out in strong 
relief. St. Basil was a popular prophet and 
miracle worker more than three centuries 
ago. The especial glory of the building is its 
coloring of red, yellow, green, blue, violet, 
gold and silver blended in one amazing mass. 
From the roof rises eleven towers in the col- 
ors named, yet each cupola is different. It 
is said of this church, that after its completion 
Ivan the Cruel caused the eyes of the archi- 
tect to be burned out that he might not again 
be able to reproduce its like. 

Another legend says the Czar asked the 
originator if he could not build a still more 
beautiful church, and upon his reply in the 
affirmative, his head was cut off, so that St. 
Basil might remain unrivalled forever. 

Close by St. Basil is the Redeemer's gate, 
having above its entrance an image of Christ. 

i66 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

It is so sacred that all persons passing be- 
neath it are supposed to raise their hats. 

The most prominent of the Kremlin struc- 
tures is the Ivan Tower. It contains not 
fewer than thirty-six bells, two of which are 
of silver, while the largest weighs one hun- 
dred and thirty thousand pounds. 

The Treasury of Moscow is where the 
riches containing precious objects and jewels 
of the Czars have been kept since 1645. 
They consist of regalia, state costumes, 
vases, magnificent armament, horse trap- 
pings, state carriages and presents received 
from time to time from sovereigns of other 
countries. The crowns, thrones and orna- 
ments of Imperial costumes, and the gold and 
silver plate of Czars have a character of solid 
splendor. 

Two notably regal thrones are the ivory 
throne used at the coronation of Nicholas I, 
and the throne used at the coronation of Al- 
exander 11. , which was brought from Persia 
in 1660. It is superbly studded with dia- 
monds, rubies, turquoises and pearls. A can- 
opy of golden brown crowns its summit. In 
the richly gilded chair is wrought in jewels 
the double-headed eagle of the Empire. 

It was Napoleon who said, " What is a 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

throne, a few boards covered with gold and 
velvet? No! the real throne is man." 

Just before leaving the Kremlin I stood 
near the edge of the wall, and again viewed 
the city below, with the river running its ser- 
pentine course close by the green-roofed mod- 
est homes. Here and there old men and 
women, singly and in groups, with scarcely 
sufficient clothing to cover them; bare-legged 
and bare-footed, with a little bundle of be- 
longings fastened to a stick which rested on 
their shoulders, wended their way up over the 
hills to their Mecca, the Kremlin. Within 
the church, with weariness of mind and body, 
they laid their little bundles beside them, and, 
after a little while on bended knees, they 
arose and went, whither no one could say. 

In Moscow it is no unusual sight to see the 
steps and entrances to churches filled way into 
and through the night with pilgrims. Their 
reverence for the church is their one touch of 
happiness. When one remembers their dire 
poverty, and knows that many of them are 
huddled together in one room, oftentimes 
with beasts, and that they subsist mainly on 
black bread and sour soup, their discontent is 
not to be wondered at. 

We are greatly indebted to M. Malavin- 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

ski, whose father Is an official of Moscow, 
and who accompanied us from St. Peters- 
burg, In order that he might show us the rar- 
est wonders of this most unique city, for the 
great pleasure we are enjoying, pleasures not 
enjoyed by the average traveler; but given 
only to those who have official Influence. 

On leaving the Kremlin I said to M. 
Malavlnski, " How gloriously oriental Is 
Moscow!" He replied, "It Is not orien- 
tal, Mrs. Guthrldge. It Is Moscow." 
He was quite right; no city outside of 
the Orient could be more oriental. It 
possesses more picturesque grandeur than 
St. Petersburg, and artistically Is of far 
greater Interest than Its rival. There, as In 
St. Petersburg, one meets the extremes of so- 
cial life. In no country so much as Russia 
are to be seen the " lower ten rrillllon, and the 
upper ten thousand." The cultivated Rus- 
sians are. In social Intercourse, the flower of 
good breeding. They are not only well man- 
nered and well born; but they are linguists 
without peers. They have polish, and per- 
fect urbanity. They have a genius for for- 
eign languages, and one will find few. If any, 
high-class Russians who do not speak at least 
three languages besides their own. These 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

are French, German and English. And the 
amazing thing Is, that each language Is 
spoken with equal facility. They are ac- 
quainted with the slightest details of our lan- 
guage, and their understanding of Idiomatic 
English Is quite equal to our own. 

The Russian of the " lower ten million '' 
Is Ignorant and debased to the last degree. 
Few of this element can read or write. To 
us they are absurdly superstitious. Their In- 
telligence seems not to be superior to the cat- 
tle of the fields. Between the two extremes 
Is a middle class of nouveau-rlche who, If re- 
port speaks truly, far exceed In vulgar osten- 
tation the same class In our own country. 

Before leaving " Holy mother Moscow 
with the white walls," as It Is sometimes 
called, which Napoleon's army, after a 
weary march of nearly two thousand miles, 
cheered with a frenzy of enthusiasm when its 
vista burst upon their view, we drove to 
Swallow hill. It was there Napoleon stood 
and viewed the burning of Moscow which the 
Russians themselves destroyed that their idol 
might not fall Into the hands of the French 
conqueror, the Invincible Corslcan. 

There we stood and saw Moscow, semi-clr- 
cular above the Mokva River, spanned by a 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

beautiful rainbow. The scene was indescrib- 
ably beautiful as the soft colors of the rain- 
bow mingled with the coloring and gilded 
domes of the " white city." 

Our last thrilling experience In Moscow 
came when we were driven from the hotel to 
the station. I wondered why the horses were 
so excited at our departure, when It dawned 
upon me, and I exclaimed, " It Is a race as to 
which droshki shall reach the station first." 
So it proved, and our droshki was second at 
the station. After so reckless a drive we 
waved our adieux to Moscow, and were soon 
speeding back to St. Petersburg. 

Aug. loth. 

We took the steamer at 3.30 this after- 
noon for Stockholm, a journey of forty-eight 
hours. Our boat is a trim little craft, flying 
the Danish colors; but as completely under 
Russian domination, within Russian waters, 
as If the flag at her peak bore the royal en- 
sign of the Czar. 

The time has now come when I can prop- 
erly speak at length about the detestable sys- 
tem of espionage that prevails throughout 
the Russian Empire. From the moment of 
our arrival we have been " shadowed " by 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

emissaries of the police. They were with us 
on the train from Berlin to St. Petersburg, 
and we met them at every turn in the corri- 
dors of the Hotel d'Europe. The annoyance 
to which we were subjected was, however, in 
the matter of passports. We were cautioned 
before leaving Berlin not to lose our pass- 
ports as we would find travel in Russia a diffi- 
cult proceeding without them. So it proved. 
Before our departure for Moscow they were 
carefully collected by one of our party, and 
handed to the agent of the police at the hotel 
for his vise. This was done twenty-four 
hours in advance of our starting. When we 
arrived in Moscow, we notified the police of- 
ficials of the length of time we should remain, 
and again they were vised accordingly. Had 
we chosen to extend our stay, or to shorten 
it, further changes would have been neces- 
sary before we would have dared to move. 
To an American, free to go and come as he 
pleases, such methods are extremely irritat- 
ing, " like the pebble In the shoe," as one of 
the men expresses it. 

To-day we have a repetition of it. Yes- 
terday the time of our sailing was given to 
the police, and our passports were again 
stamped in conformity with our plans. But 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

were they delivered to us when we sailed? 
Not at all. Instead, they were taken in 
charge by the police agent at the hotel, and 
by him sent to another agent at the wharf. 
This man retained them until a moment be- 
fore the gang-plank was drawn in when they 
were handed to the purser. The purser re- 
ceipted for them, and will be held responsible 
for their safe-keeping until we are outside of 
Russian waters, which will be after we leave 
Helsingfors, when they will again be re- 
turned to us. 

At seven o'clock to-night we made our first 
landing. Two men went ashore, and a few 
boxes of freight were unloaded on the wharf. 
We expected to continue our journey without 
further delay as there was apparently no one 
to come aboard. But the captain gave no 
signal, and soon an hour passed and the ship 
gave no sign of departure. American-like 
we were impatient to be off, and when I met 
the captain a little later I inquired the cause 
of delay. He told me that there was some 
irregularity in the passport of one of the men 
who had gone ashore, and that he dared not 
leave until it had been corrected at St. Peters- 
burg, if we laid there a week. To do other- 
wise would bring him into conflict with the 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

authorities, and result in a heavy fine against 
the steamship company; with the certain loss 
of his position. At the end of another hour 
a cable from St. Petersburg informed the 
captain that he could go ahead, which he im- 
mediately proceeded to do. 

Aug. nth. 

The last object of interest we saw close by 
St. Petersburg, and before sailing into the 
Baltic Sea, was Cronstadt, and its fortress sit- 
uated near the border of the Gulf of Finland. 
The largest .of its ports is great enough to 
contain one thousand vessels. The city is 
surrounded with ramparts of earth, as a pre- 
caution against inundations of water. 

When the hour came for dinner we were 
all seated at one long table. It was a help- 
yourself dinner, as there were only two wait- 
resses, and they were kept busy replenishing 
dishes as quickly as they were emptied. 
Everything was hot and plentiful. In the 
center of the table stood a large samovar 
filled with vodka. I had heard the term 
" fire-water " used for whisky, and it applies 
equally well to vodka, which tastes like 
whisky with a generous infusion of red-pep- 
per. 

174 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Aug. 1 2th. 

We arrived at Helsingfors this morning. 
I had been told that the Baltic was " a bit 
nasty" at times, and so It was for us; but 
happily for a short time only. I was willing 
to be tried a little for the experience of a sail 
on the Baltic Sea; but I was glad that the sail 
was no longer. 

Helsingfors, the capital of Finland, and 
which the Finns say is one of two cities that 
constitute the brains of Finland, commands 
a beautiful situation. Its environs are most 
attractive with Its Imperial Palace and park, 
ancient fortifications and Islands, on which 
are charming villas. It Is a modern city, and 
thoroughly progressive. It Is strikingly 
clean. A stranger everywhere meets with 
studied politeness. Every peasant raises his 
hat to you with the quiet dignity of an equal. 

Its market-place Is picturesque. It Is situ- 
ated In the center of a street. Each stand Is 
covered with a white canopy. The market 
women, tidily dressed, wear large quaint 
white bonnets which flap over their ears. 
They sit at their stalls knitting, or sewing, 
the mise en scene being that of a charity ba- 
zaar, rather than that of a market day. After 
a stay of several hours, which Included a 

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drive about the city, we set sail for Stock- 
holm. We were both sorry and glad — sorry 
to leave the beautiful waters so soon, and 
glad to arrive at Stockholm. 

Aug. iph. 

When we had finished a leisurely breakfast 
this morning, the captain told us our sea-trip 
was nearly at an end. The fortified Islands 
hard by the harbor give one a sense of per- 
fect protection from Invading foes. The en- 
trance to the port Is a scene of great beauty. 
As the boat wended Its way around and 
about the Islands with their quaintly pleasing 
cottages, we were suddenly confronted with 
Stockholm at the head of the waters. 

Stockholm Is a city of waters, and has one 
of the finest hotels, and one of the best situa- 
tions In the world. You can sit on the bal- 
cony of the hotel and look across the lake, 
to the Palace of the King, on Its lofty terrace. 
Boats continually pass up and down the lake, 
yet no whistle disturbs Its serenity. The 
King's Palace Is most home-like. Its ap- 
pointments are rare without being lavish. 
The walls of the living-rooms are ornamented 
with hand carving. The dining-room con- 
tains the greatest collection of Sevres, dear to 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

the lovers of porcelain, in the world. The 
walls are literally covered with platters and 
vegetable dishes of Sevres which stand on 
huge brackets. 

The cosy corner of the Palace is on the 
roof where the King can escape visitors when 
so disposed, be alone with the stars, listen to 
the music everywhere below him, and enjoy 
the beauty scenes of the island sans etre in- 
ter rompu. 

Hard by the Palace is a little island, where 
every afternoon and evening you hear the 
choicest selections from opera, or strains 
from Strauss without cost to the listener. At 
night its brilliantly lighted barges filled with 
pleasure seekers cover the surface of the 
placid waters. 

The stolid people of Stockholm share with 
the Dutch a love of pleasures. At any open- 
air restaurant one is sure of a fine musical 
treat. 

Aug. i^th. 

Stockholm, like her sister-cities, is full of 
historic interest. Near the bank of the lake, 
is the Riddarholm church, or church of 
tombs, in which service is held only when a 
member of the reigning house is brought for 
burial. It is draped with faded battle flags, 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

and a multitude of tattered trophies, pyra- 
mids of drums and trumpets. 

Unusually pretty pictures on the streets are 
the girls In their native costume, which Is 
composed of a very short skirt of dark color 
with bands of bright ribbons, a gaily-col- 
ored apron, white waist with black bodice, 
trimmed with Swedish colors. High peaked 
black velvet caps also with Swedish colored 
ribbons complete the fetching costume. 

The native dance of Sweden Is to be seen 
at a late hour every afternoon In the park. 
There, under the spreading trees, nature, mu- 
sic and an enthusiastic company of people in- 
spire them. The dancers receive as pay the 
proceeds from the sale of seats surrounding 
the platform on which they appear. If one 
chooses to stand, the dancing can be seen for 
nothing. The dance Is filled with coy move- 
ments. It Is fascinatingly pretty. 

In the shops the sales-women are markedly 
polItQ, and exert every effort to please you. 
After you have paid for your purchase they 
make a delightfully quaint curtsy and ac- 
company It with " tack " (tark) , which signi- 
fies "thank you!" 

In Europe It Is not unusual to be thanked 
in return for your thanking. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

The one thing that has greatly impressed 
me in our various travels is the politeness and 
consideration shown us. I have heard it said 
many times, by Americans, sad to relate, that 
this politeness is merely a surface polish. It 
is a singularly agreeable veneer. 

Aug. i6th. 

We spent to-day traveling through a wild, 
rugged country dotted with lakes, with here 
and there groups of homes built upon rocks, 
and occasionally a village of quaintly pretty 
homes. 

It is astonishing, the knowledge of Eng- 
lish one finds in Europe. In Sweden, for in- 
stance, one would expect to find English 
spoken only by the better educated, or by 
those whose business makes a knowledge of 
English a necessity. Yet, to our surprise^ we 
find that three of the four Swedes who occupy 
the railway carriage in common with us, 
speak excellent English. Two of these were 
men, one of them being a clergyman; the 
other a mechanic. The third was a lady, 
well along in middle life, and of comely ap- 
pearance. The clergyman's English was ex- 
ceptionally good, and he rendered us great 
assistance in explaining to the conductor a 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

misunderstanding about our baggage checks, 
for, over here, when you pay the railway 
company for excess baggage, your dealings, 
en route, are with the conductor only. 

When he left us we fell back on the Eng- 
lish of the mechanic, and, later, upon that of 
the old lady. She could not understand my 
husband; she said he talked too fast for her; 
but she understood me because I spoke slowly 
and carefully separated my words. Her 
English was grammatical and her vocabulary 
fair, yet she had never been in an English- 
speaking country; she had learned English at 
school and had never forgotten it. 

Our newly made Swedish friends told us 
that English had been one of the courses of 
study in the public schools for the last twen- 
ty-five years, and that every child was re- 
quired to learn it. This explains the preva- 
lence of English in the North countries, for, 
I fancy, the rule is enforced also in Den- 
mark and Norway. 

Aug. ijth. 

We arrived in Copenhagen at noon to-day. 
Our room at the hotel is decidedly quaint. 
It is very large with a low slanting ceiling. 
It is lighted by a single window, a huge pane 
of glass set In an iron frame. In opening the 

i8o 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

window I found the glass separated from Its 
frame leaving the frame stationary. 

In strolling through Copenhagen, one sees 
a great variety of gableS), dormer windows 
and quaint carvings. Statues of dogs sur- 
prised me as I saw them on the corners of 
roofs at every turn. The dog, so dear to the 
hearts of the natives of Germany and Hol- 
land, Is conspicuous here by Its absence, and 
this Is why their statues surprised me so 
much. 

So serious a people are the Danes that a 
smile on their faces startles you. 

The glory of Copenhagen Is Thorwaldsen. 
It Is the city of his birth. The museum Is 
filled with creations of his genius. Among 
Its treasured relics Is his modeling stand and 
tools, and an unfinished bust of Luther, on 
which he worked a few hours before his 
death. 

Copenhagen, a city of the North, founded 
more than three hundred years ago. Is little 
frequented. I wonder why! It contains 
much of Interest to lovers of travel In the Old 
World. Perhaps Its remoteness accounts for 
the few travelers one meets in Its wide and 
park-like streets. 

The peasants, always a picturesque feature 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

of foreign cities, are, in Copenhagen, the 
nurses. Their dress consists of the usual 
short skirts, gay plaid aprons, corresponding 
kerchiefs about their shoulders, and quaintly 
tied handkerchiefs of the same material on 
their heads. Others wear dainty colored 
skirts with white aprons and very large white 
caps. The dress of the Danes of the upper 
class does not differ from that of our own. 

Aug, i()th. 

We took a boat last night for Kiel. We 
remained only a few hours, as we were eager 
to get on to Hamburg. Kiel is one of the 
oldest towns in Germany. It is picturesquely 
situated in one of the best havens of Europe. 
It is the chief harbor of Germany, and the 
headquarters of the Army and Navy. Here, 
also, are sailed the national and interna- 
tional regattas. 

We arrived in Hamburg this morning. 
Hamburg ranks with London, Liverpool and 
New York in commercial importance. Its 
harbor, where one sees many vessels from all 
quarters of the globe, presents a busy and 
picturesque appearance. Its greatest attrac- 
tion is its Alster-Bassin, a river running irreg- 
ularly through the city; bounded by quays 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

planted with fine old trees. All along Its 
border are palatial residences separated by 
beautifully kept lawns and gardens. 

After breakfasting, and a drive about the 
city and its environs, we returned in time to 
take the train for Flushing. The ride en 
route was full of beauty and new interest. 
We rode all afternoon through forests of fir, 
and over fields of purple heather. Now and 
then would loom up a quaint black and white 
cross-barred house nestling in a lovely valley. 

Wc were detained several hours by a break 
on the train when but a few miles from Flush- 
ing. There were many passengers bound 
also for England, and we were all on the qui- 
vive to know if the boat at Flushing would 
wait for us. Night shut out our view of the 
charming little Flemish village when we ar- 
rived; but the boat was our first considera- 
tion; and we were compelled to " hustle " to 
get aboard with our belongings. Almost 
breathless from our haste we found ourselves 
tucked away In our state-room, and steaming 
across the calm channel, bound for Queens- 
boro. 

The boat was at the wharf this morning 
when I came on deck. There was the usual 
commotion among the porters, who were ban- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

dling the luggage checked for London with a 
rapidity that even their American brothers 
would envy. It was only a step from the 
boat to the train, where we found ourselves a 
few minutes later in a comfortable second- 
class carriage with two English ladies and a 
man as the other occupants. It was very re- 
freshing to be back again on English soil 
after our long weeks of travel on the Conti- 
nent, where we had heard as many different 
languages as were represented, perhaps, at 
the Tower of Babel. For an American 
properly to appreciate England, it is only 
necessary to visit some of the other countries 
of Europe and then return to the " tight little 
isle " of song and story. If an American 
feels at home anywhere outside of his own 
country, it is here in King Edward's land. 

Aug. 20th. 
A sweet " bit " of travel to-day was the 
miles and miles of rocks covered with pink 
clover. At noon we are in London again, 
that stupendous climax to the island of old 
England. We are domiciled at the Russell 
Square Hotel. A daintier hostelry it would 
be difficult to find. The meals are exqui- 
sitely served, and superior in quality. The 

184 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

atmosphere of the house is refined and re- 
poseful. We hke it best of all the hotels we 
have seen in London. 

Aug, 22nd. 

We went by 'bus to-day to Hampton 
Court, the seat of the largest royal palace 
in Great Britain. Since the time of George 
II., Hampton Court has ceased to be a 
royal residence. More than eight hundred 
of its one thousand rooms are now occupied 
in suites by aristocratic pensioners of the 
Crown. 

Its gallery holds an interesting collection 
of " Hampton Court Beauties " or ladies of 
the Court of William and Mary; also the 
" Windsor Beauties " of the Court of 
Charles II. 

A floral feature of the park is the avenue 
more than a mile in length of blooming horse 
chestnuts said to be unrivalled in England. 

Aug. 2'^rd. 
We are to-day in this tranquil old town of 
Leamington, which is conspicuous for its 
profusion of foliage. It is charmingly situ- 
ated near its sister city Warwick, distant but 
two miles from it. It is a city of straight 

185 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

and wide avenues and streets, planned with 
almost American precision. It was Nathan- 
iel Hawthorne, if I mistake not, who said, 
" It is a place of charm which is always in 
flower." 

How delightful is the old-fashioned inn at 
which we are staying ! Not a sound disturbs 
its quiet. People come and go speaking in 
muffled tones. You would think a corpse 
was in the house, so hushed is every one. 
You, too, catch the spirit of silence, and are 
almost frightened at the sound of your own 
voice. 

Aug. 2^th. 

It poured in torrents this morning but this 
did not prevent our ride to Stratford-on- 
Avon, the birth-place of Shakespeare, whose 
home has been so frequently restored that its 
real age seems incredible. It is a lonely 
looking place. No trees, no gardens about 
it, no avenue leading to it. The sole decora- 
tion of Shakespeare's room is the names of 
visitors scribbled everywhere on the walls 
and woodwork, giving it the appearance of a 
room of autographs. 

One gets nearest to the personality of 
Shakespeare In the walk across the fields to 
the cottage of Anne Hathaway, which is a 

i86 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

characteristic farm house of the reign of 
Queen Elizabeth. 

Our impulse was to halt at the threshold, 
for fear of disturbing the lovers, forgetful 
for the moment that their voices were stilled. 

Stratford-on-Avon is almost the same to- 
day with its ancient timbered houses, elm- 
shaded and rose-embowered, as it was when 
Shakespeare entertained " rare " Ben Jonson. 
The curfew still rings at dusk, the town-crier 
still makes his rounds, bell in hand. 

After a stroll through the narrow winding 
streets, we visited Trinity Church where 
Shakespeare worshipped. It is filled with 
beautiful memorial windows. My eyes 
dropped suddenly from the coloring of the 
windows to the exquisite bust of Shakespeare 
beneath which lies a gray slab of stone bear- 
ing the inscription: 

Good friend for Jesus sake forbear 
To dig the dust inclosed here, 
Blest he the man that spares these stones, 
And curst he he who moves my bones. 

So through the centuries the bard of Avon 
has slept undisturbed. 

Close by the church flows the river Avon 

187 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

like a silver ribbon, threading Its way for 
miles through velvety meadows. The very 
trees along its border seem in sympathy with 
its placid nature, and bend low over its sur- 
face as if to preserve Its quiet undisturbed. 

Marie Corelli, who is perhaps the best 
known of the English novelists of the pres- 
ent day, and who had in Queen Victoria an 
enthusiastic admirer, lives in Stratford. Her 
house is a rose-covered cottage on one of the 
principal streets, and is one of the objects of 
interest of this charmingly picturesque old 
town. 

Aug. 2^th. 

To-day we drove by coach to Kenilworth, 
the loveliest of England's ruined castles. 
There are few places In England I have so 
much desired to see as this ancient pile, 
around which the great Scotch novelist has 
written one of his most fascinating romances. 
The Castle was a ruin In the early years of 
the last century when Scott wrote " Kenil- 
worth "; In which is related the love story of 
the Earl of Leicester and the unhappy Amy 
Robsart. 

In Elizabeth's day It was one of the state- 
liest and noblest structures in all England. 

I stood to-day before the crumbling walls 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

and broken turrets of Kenilworth, to restore 
it again in fancy, and to people it with the 
distinguished men and the beautiful women 
whose lives formed so conspicuous an element 
of the Court of the Virgin Queen. And as 
I continued to look upon it I remembered 
how Scott, contrasting its decay with its 
former grandeur, uses the circumstance to 
moralize upon the transitory character of 
earthly things. Following the same train of 
thought there came into my mind also those 
oft-quoted lines of Shakespeare, 

'' Great Casar, dead and turned to clay, 
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away J* 

So long as life is beautiful, it is better to be 
a live peasant than a dead ruler. 

We spent several hours roaming about the 
grounds, and studying the effect of the en- 
throned and dethroned who had once gaily 
reveled in its halls, and which, later, Crom- 
well's soldiers dismantled and ruined. It 
was a scene we were loth to leave, for its ro- 
mantic and historical associations combine to 
make it one of the most fascinating spots in 
all England. 

After Kenilworth, we visited Warwick 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Castle. At the last bend In the walk you 
are suddenly confronted with the Castle of 
Warwick, whose foundation was laid near the 
close of the loth century. The ancient and 
stately homes of the Earls of Warwick Is one 
of the most picturesque feudal residences In 
England. The oldest and most Interesting 
part Is the huge Cassar Tower, said to have 
been built soon after the Roman Conquest. 
On one of Its Ivied towers Is an ancient sun- 
dial, which gives the hour just as It did to the 
lords and ladles who rode beneath it centu- 
ries ago. 

The history of Warwick Castle Is almost 
as old as the history of England Itself. 

Earls of Warwick that have successively 
held that title have played their part in most 
of the dramas of English history. They 
have been hosts of Kings, and also their exe- 
cutioners. They have dictated the policy of 
their country, and they have perished miser- 
ably on the scaffold. This is not a right 
pleasant memory of leafy Warwick, one of 
the most lovely of English counties, which 
presents great attractions for the student, the 
rambler and the tourist. It Is equally fasci- 
nating for the historian. 

Early in its history It was the scene of 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

many stirring episodes, and it has seen the 
coming and going of many royal guests. 
Here, Queen Elizabeth was entertained on 
two occasions. There is a tradition that 
Amy Robsart was once a guest within its 
walls. 

Since those days the Castle has remained a 
peaceful residence. It is situated close by 
the bridge spanning the Avon. It is sur- 
rounded with pleasure grounds of great 
beauty. The main entrance is through an 
embattled gate-way, which leads to the Cas- 
tle courtyard by a winding road cut for a dis- 
tance of some hundred yards through solid 
sandstone, picturesquely overhung by shrubs 
and creepers, and shaded with noble trees 
that hug one another like bosom friends. 

The Castle contains an almost unrivalled 
collection of art treasures by Rubens, Van 
Dyck, Raphael, and Rembrandt, and many 
curios of the feudal ages. 

This ancient feudal Castle was also the 
scene of many tragedies and pageants in the 
dark ages, down to the golden age of Eliza- 
beth; and lovers of the past will recognize in 
it one of the finest monuments of ancient 
splendor in England, which happily remains 
unimpaired by time. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

Aug. 26th. 

We arrived at Oxford to-day. It is our 
second visit, and our stay must be short, as 
we are booked to sail from Liverpool 
September 9th, and still have much to see. 

It was here at Oxford, a city of pinnacles 
and groves, that King Alfred lived a thou- 
sand years ago, and here was born Richard 
the Lion Hearted, mightiest of all the mighty 
warriors that England sent to the Crusades 
during the middle ages. And here, too, 
where we are staying, is the Crown Inn where 
Shakespeare spent his nights when jour- 
neying between Stratford-on-Avon and Lon- 
don. 

Oxford's educational prominence explains 
Its influence over the minds of men. Twenty- 
four colleges with cloistered court-yards and 
sculptured windows, and quaint gables are 
scattered over the ancient town. From 
Christ Church College were graduated many 
men famous In English history, among whom 
were Thomas Moore, Ben Jonson, the Duke 
of Wellington, Ruskin and Gladstone, and 
the list might be extended Indefinitely. 

Conspicuous among the colleges Is Mag- 
dalen College with its graceful, yet singularly 
venerable towers, embowered In verdure, 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

where one gets lovely glimpses of river scen- 
ery and wooded landscape; which Old An- 
tony a Wood quaintly extols as " pleasant 
meadows shadowed with trees." 

After exploring the beauties of Magdalen 
College one must admit that it is one of the 
most attractive and enjoyable places, not only 
in Oxford, but in all England. 

An interesting Tower is the Tom Tower 
which contains " Great Tom," a bell that 
tolled, in days agone, a curfew of one hun- 
dred and one strokes as a signal to close the 
gates. 

No spot in England offers so perfect a 
combination of Arcadian simplicity of nature 
and perfect old Gothic art as Oxford. No- 
where can one breathe an atmosphere of such 
mental sweetness and repose as is found here. 

Aug. 2<)th. 
We are somewhat disappointed in 
Brighton. It is difficult to say just what we 
expected it to be. We had heard it was 
quite unlike our Atlantic City. We knew it 
was larger than Trouville without Trouville's 
delicate coloring. It cannot be compared 
with either. It is really a fine, handsome 
city rising almost abruptly from the water's 

193 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

edge to a conislderable height. To get to the 
principal streets well upon the hills one is 
compelled to wind back and forth somewhat 
after the fashion of our American railways 
in the Rocky Mountains. 

We had an excellent table d'hote luncheon 
to-day; but the hotel like the town had an at- 
mosphere of deep solemnity. The solemn 
hush seemed even to surround the children, 
for they deported themselves on the beach 
with a grave seriousness quite unusual in 
youngsters of tender years. I cannot recall 
that I heard the silence broken by a single 
peal of laughter. It may be that the day is 
responsible for this unnatural quiet, for it is 
Sunday; but if to-day is a typical Brighton 
day we shall certainly not care to prolong our 
stay. 

Dickens tells us it was here that little Paul 
Dombey was sent by his austere father to re- 
cover his health and thus to become in time 
an active partner in the house of " Dombey 
and Son." 

Here it was that the old-fashioned child, 
wandering with slow and painful steps along 
the beach with his devoted sister Florence, 
wondered what the wild waves were saying. 
To him the refrain was sad, and so appar- 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

ently Is everything else about Brlghton-by- 
the-sea. 

Aug. 20th. 

Our chief amusement this morning was a 
" bus " ride down the Strand, stopping to see 
St. Paul's churchyard, and several notable 
coffee-houses in the neighborhood, and the 
Queen's Arms Tavern often visited by Dr. 
Jonson. 

Aug. 3ijf/. 

While rambling about Windsor late this 
afternoon, we saw a man standing near the 
entrance to St. George's Chapel. I ap- 
proached and asked him if It was too late to 
enter the chapel. With a pleasing smile he 
assured us that he would be gratified to take 
us through both St. George's and the Albert 
chapels. 

St. George's Chapel of the order of the 
Knights of the Garter, our guide explained, 
was begun In 1474. Its unique roof is fan 
shaped. The richly adorned choir contains 
the stalls of the Knights of the Garter with 
their coat-of-arms and banners. 

The Albert Chapel is beautified with col- 
ored marbles, mosaics, precious stones and 
sculpture in extraordinary profusion. Its 
ceiling is composed of Venetian mosaics. 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

We regretted not having entered the chap- 
els sooner, and would have lingered longer; 
but our consideration for the verger (for 
such he proved to be) compelled us to shorten 
our stay. He was most generous in point- 
ing out the objects of greatest interest; but 
necessarily many other things were given a 
brief examination owing to our lack of time. 

Sept. 1st. 

This afternoon we joined a coaching party 
for a drive through Great Windsor Park, in 
which we strolled, in imagination, through 
Queen Elizabeth's walk. The magnificent 
mausoleum erected by Queen Victoria to her 
husband, Prince Albert, and where she now 
rests beside him, is a feature of the park, as 
IS also the commanding statue of George III. 
After driving about two hours we were told 
to alight and walk around a lake through a 
part of the park where vehicles were not per- 
mitted to enter. We met the coach at the 
end of the lake, after a walk of several miles 
through a beautiful forest, and were glad to 
mount it again and continue the drive back 
to Windsor. 

Sept. 2nd. 

Richmond was our objective point to-day. 
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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

It is a small town on the bank of the Thames, 
charmingly situated on the slope of a hill. 
Its original name was Sheen (beautiful). Its 
terrace gardens command a picturesque and 
famous view. The park is a favorite sum- 
mer resort for Londoners. Large herds of 
deer add to its charm. The Thames winds 
everywhere through the vast stretch of for- 
est, of which no man can see the " hend," as 
our cockney coachman told us while on our 
drive through the park. Pretty chalets peep 
from jutting points. The Star and Garter 
Hotel, where we luncheoned, commands a 
perfect view of the vast stretch of wood- 
land, the pride of romantic and beautiful 
Richmond. 

We rambled this afternoon about Hyde 
Park, which on an afternoon in the season is 
the best picture one can present to the stran- 
ger, of the pride and wealth, blood and bear- 
ing, comeliness and beauty of old England. 
It is one of the most frequented and lively 
scenes in London. A handsome and lofty 
railing surrounds it. There are nine car- 
riage-entrances, besides a great number of 
gates for pedestrians. All of them are 
closed at midnight. Within the park 
stands a monument to the " Iron Duke," 

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FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

which, as the inscription tells us, was erected 
with money subscribed by English ladies in 
honor of " Arthur, Duke of Wellington, 
and his brave companions in arms." 

No carts or wagons are permitted to enter 
Hyde Park, and cabs are admitted only to 
one roadway across the park near Kensington 
Gardens. The finest part of the park, irre- 
spective of the magnificent group of trees and 
expanses of grass for which English parks 
stand pre-eminent, is that near the Serpen- 
tine, where in spring and summer the fash- 
ionable world rides, drives or walks. The 
favorite hours are from five to seven. 

The scene in this part of the park on fine 
afternoons is both interesting and imposing, 
though of late years, I am told, the fashion- 
able throng has not been so numerous as pre- 
viously. 

In the drive, a study of fashion and riding, 
one sees handsome equipages and high-bred 
horses in handsome trappings driven by sleek 
coachmen and powdered lackeys, and occu- 
pied by beautiful and exquisitely dressed 
women. 

In strong contrast to this scene, is that part 
of the park where, in order to enter, one 
must pay a fee of twopence for the privilege 

198 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

of lounging on the grass or benches, or oc- 
cupying a chair. This corner is remote 
from that where passes the gilded world of 
fashion. 

Sept. ^th. 
Our afternoon was delightfully spent at the 
Savoy Theater where we saw a performance 
of " My Lady Molly," a charming operetta 
that has yet to be seen in the States. It was 
well sung, and the acting was characterized 
by a vim and " smartness " that proved an 
agreeable surprise. On our way out an 
amusing incident occurred. We were pass- 
ing from the body of the theater, through a 
vaulted corridor, to the street. A lady in 
front of us was struggling vainly to get into 
her jacket. She had one sleeve on; but the 
other was, with tantalizing obstinacy, beyond 
her reach. It was comical to observe her ef- 
forts to connect with the fluttering garment. 
My husband, with true American politeness, 
placed his hand on the collar of the wrap, 
and with a quick movement drew it up on her 
shoulders. As he did so, a man at his side, 
tipping his hat politely, quietly remarked, 
" C'est pour moi, Monsieur." The man was 
apparently the lady's husband. '' Vous avez 
ralson, Monsieur," replied my husband, also 

199 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

tipping his hat. At that moment the lady in 
question turned, and reahzing from the con- 
versation to whom she was indebted for the 
courtesy, n;iurmured her thanks also, and the 
four of us, all smiling, continued our way to 
the street. 

There is one custom in the European the- 
aters that differs from ours. Here, the 
ushers are women, and they are both young 
and old. They perform the service quite as 
well as men, and they have charge also of the 
cloak-room where your wraps are checked, in 
return for which you give a small gratuity. 

A pleasant feature of the performance is 
the passing of tea on little salvers daintily 
equipped with just enough for one or two. 
One hears " tea," '' tea," " tea," called in low 
tones throughout the theater. It proves a 
welcome beverage as well as a " bit " of so- 
ciability during the intermission. 

We dined at the Hotel Savoy to-night. It 
is close by the Strand, and many theaters are 
" bunched " in that vicinity, so that while 
dining at any one of the hotels, one is sure to 
be rewarded with scenes full of spirit and the 
appearance of well-gowned women, and men 
in evening dress. 

I was surprised, I confess, when I saw 

200 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

many women, evidently not to be out-done 
by their men friends, sending rings and curl- 
ing fantastic designs In smoke from their 
cigarettes during the dinner. I know In our 
country of women lovers of cigarettes; but 
this was the first time that I had seen women 
smoking In a supposedly fashionable assem- 
blage. It did take away the dainty feminin- 
ity that In my philosophy all women should 
cultivate and possess. 

Sept. 6th. 

Packing has consumed the greater part of 
two days. This task completed I went for a 
farewell "bus" ride down the Strand, and 
back by way of PIcadllly to say au revoir to 
a few of the places that had given me great 
pleasure. I hope I am not seeing them for 
the last time, for, to me, they are old and val- 
ued friends from whom It Is hard to part. 
Yet, after all, our greatest joy will be to see 
America again. Wasn't It Thomas Bailey 
Aldrlch who said, " The greatest joy of for- 
eign travel Is to get home again "? That Is 
so; nevertheless I shall be glad to return to 
this fascinating land so full of color and of 
quaint Interest. 

Sept. Sth. 

A beautifully appointed railway train 

201 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

brought us to-day to Liverpool. It is rain- 
ing hard and we shall spend the day quietly 
about the hotel, which is filled with Americans 
also outward bound. 

$ept. loth. 
We boarded the Oceanic about four 
o'clock yesterday afternoon. We were 
" booked " to sail at five o'clock. The hour 
had arrived. The rain came down in tor- 
rents. The ship did not budge from her 
moorings. Friends of those aboard, who 
had come to wave their final adieux, tarried 
until darkness shut out their view, and 
finally the black night enveloped every visible 
object on the dock. Naturally everybody 
was eager to be off, and yet the ship did not 
move. Why, nobody knew. Finally, word 
went round the ship that the captain was 
waiting for the storm outside to abate before 
venturing out into the sea. Ten o'clock came 
and with it a rumbling noise, a quiver of the 
ship, and we were actually off. 

Sept. i2th. 

I have been content for two days to move 

from cot to couch and amuse (?) myself by 

listening to the swishing of the waves, and 

the doleful fog-horn, and realizing that I 

202 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

shall be berth-bound for several days at 
least. 

Sept. i^th. 

Every time I tried to think that I was go- 
ing to get on deck, a huge wave would con- 
vince me that Neptune was not yet done with 
me; and yet another and another thundering 
voice would say, " Not yet ! not yet ! " When 
night came I shut out the wail of the waves, 
stopped my ears with cotton and laid down to 
watery dreams. 

Sept. 14th. 

The sun has been hiding for several days, 
but to-day burst through the clouds, bringing 
joy to everybody aboard. Its visit was soon 
cut short as clouds covered it, and our smiles, 
that meant much happiness but a little while 
before, gave way to frowns. However, we 
made the most of the day as land was only 
two days away. 

Sept. i^th. 

I was awakened at an early hour this 
morning by the same long, doleful, dreary 
sound of the fog-horn. Its very groan is a 
note of warning. I had no sooner awakened 
when suddenly two long signals sounded, and 
then in quick succession three rapid signals 
told of imminent danger. Suddenly the ship 

203 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

shivered and backed just In time to avoid a 
collision, as I learned later. I hurriedly 
jumped from my berth, and looking out of 
our state-room door, saw a number of stew- 
ards, towels in hand, rushing towards the bow 
of the boat whence the warning came. In- 
stantly bells rang out from every state-room, 
and women and men rushed to the upper 
deck. We had touched an out-going ship in 
the dense fog. Ugh ! 'tis a gruesome sen- 
sation to have such experience. Happily the 
danger was averted, and the good old Oce- 
anic plowed on through the troublous waves, 
and the narrow escape was soon forgotten. 

The day passed as a gray monotonous day 
at sea can; pass, with a longing for a glimpse 
of a sea-gull, a ship, anything; but above all 
for a glimpse of land. 

^ept. i6th. 

When I arose this morning I looked out 
upon a tranquil sea, with a clear sky over- 
head. I started to make a leisurely toilet 
when suddenly the wind rose, and with it 
the waves. In an incredibly short space of 
time the giant ship was plowing her way 
through great billows of water that broke 
fiercely over the main deck, sending the few 
early promenaders scurrying like frightened 

204 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

partridges to cover. As the storm Increased 
In violence the scene was awe-InspIrlng be- 
yond any description I have ever read or 
seen. 

All about us the foaming, seething waves 
were tossed Into great mountains of water as 
If by some upheaval of nature. It was like 
looking from a lofty height upon a vast un- 
dulating waste of high hills and deep valleys 
stretching In every direction as far as the 
eye could reach. The outward-bound steam- 
ers, coast-wise and transatlantic, were thrown 
about like pleasure-boats upon the ruffled sur- 
face of a lake. It was Interesting to watch 
them as they rolled and pitched, apparently 
at the mercy of the waves, and yet to feel 
that they were well-manned and staunch, and 
certain to outride the gale. By this time we 
heard that we were in the grasp of a West 
India hurricane that had created havoc along 
the coast, especially, as we afterwards 
learned, at Atlantic City and other seaside 
resorts. 

With Sandy Hook in sight, and the pas- 
sengers in a fever of Impatience to step 
ashore, the Oceanic turned about and slowly 
steamed out to sea again, there to remain 
until the violence of the wind and waves had 

205 



FROM CAPITOL TO KREMLIN 

subsided. This occurred a few hours later, 
and about nightfall the Oceanic lay along- 
side the dock, which was crowded with 
friends of the returning travelers. To them 
her appearance was a welcome sight, for the 
report of the hurricane had spread about the 
city and grave apprehension existed regard- 
ing her safety. 



THE END 



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